Us Forever
by NCIStiva3
Summary: Post-Damned if You Do. It takes a game for Tony and Ziva to realize that they belong together, but when they finally do, there's no turning back, even if the road is more than a little bumpy along the way.
1. Summer Games, Chapter 1

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 1**

Tony wasn't too surprised by the knock on the door that night. He was actually expecting her to drop by, and he welcomed the idea with open arms. He didn't want to voice anything out loud at the moment, but Ziva was exactly what he needed right now. After the three musketeers had turned in their badges, some familiarity would be helpful.

He nearly ran to the door to open it.

"Hey, Ziva." He said when he answered it. She was wearing dark jeans and a fitted, light blue top which fit her beautifully. Her hair was down in waves, like it had been a lot recently.

"I thought you could use some company." She said. The two of them were staring deep into each other's eyes. Ziva was vulnerable at the moment. She wanted to be with Tony right now. And just as easily as she ran to him, he could slam the door in her face, but she knew he wouldn't do that.

"Yeah, I could." He said, stepping back and letting her into the apartment.

"I brought some beer." She said, holding up the plastic bag in her hand. She really wanted to get wine, but decided that wine was too romantic.

"Great."

"What are you thinking right now, Tony?" she finally asked.

"I'm thinking about what I'm gonna do next, what we're gonna do next."

"We?"

"You, me…McGee." He quickly added. "What's next for us? We just threw our careers away on an impulse."

"Together." Ziva said.

"What difference does it make, Ziva?"

"We've been through worse together. We can get through this. Partners or not, we have each other's backs, Tony. We will adapt." She assured him, stepping closer. She gave him a slight smile that Tony knew not to argue with.

"If you say so." He whispered. Tony leaned over, staring into Ziva's eyes. She thought for a quick second he was going to kiss her until he took the bag from her hand. "So what do you say? We can order a pizza, watch a couple of movies, drink this beer?"

"What movies?"

"Your choice." Tony went into his kitchen to throw the bag away and put the rest of the beer in his fridge. He set two bottles on the coffee table.

"I found one." She took a DVD in her hand and brought it to Tony to see if the movie gained his approval.

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?" he read. She nodded. "Really?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Did you read the back?"

"Yes."

"And you still want to watch it?" he questioned. She grabbed the movie out of his grasp and slipped the movie into the DVD player as if she had done it a thousand times before. Tony didn't know why this simple action got to him.

"The title says enough, Tony."

"Okay." It surprised Tony a little that Ziva wanted to watch a romantic comedy, but then he remembered that she did love "The Sound of Music". He had been too caught up in his thoughts to ever realize he had been staring at her.

"Are you going to order the pizza?" she asked when she caught him.

"Yeah. I'll just-I'll go do that now." He stuttered. He left the room as Ziva grabbed the remote, taking a seat on the couch and waiting for him.

When he came back, he took a spot next to her on the couch, stealing the remote from her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"My remote." He reasoned, hitting play with one hand and holding his beer bottle to drink a swig in the other. Ziva leaned over his body to grab the bottle.

"My beer." She said. It wasn't until Ziva could feel Tony's breath on her lips that she realized how close they were. She thought about leaning in just a little bit, or freezing where she was and leaving it to Tony to decide if he wanted to kiss her or not.

The mood in the room quickly became serious, and then…

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Pizza's here." He whispered. She nodded, getting up from their current position and walking to the apartment door. Tony watched her walk away. He knew how he felt about her, and it had never been this hard for him to just make a move.

"Thank you for the pizza." She said, coming back to the couch and placing the pizza box in between their two beers.

"Don't mention it." He smiled.

* * *

Tony couldn't help but smile at how much Ziva seemed to enjoy the movie. She laughed at all the right parts, and smiled when the couple went away to his parents' house for the weekend.

"What?" she finally asked.

"What?" Tony returned.

"You have been staring at me the entire movie, Tony." She said, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"What? No-no I haven't."

"Tony."

"Fine. I have been glancing at you every now and then, but only to see your reaction to the movie." He defended. Ziva nodded.

"What's on your mind?"

"Why do you always want to know what I'm thinking?"

"I don't."

"That's the second time you've asked me."

"Why do you keep track?"

"Come on, Ziva."

"You just never tell me what you're thinking unless I ask you, and despite what you might think, I actually do care about what you think and how you feel." Her answer shocked him. It was so honest, and he truly appreciated it. Her reply made him smile.

"Well, you never tell me what you're thinking."

"Is that the problem? We are not honest with each other?" she asked.

"I think we are."

"Then, what is the problem, Tony?" she asked, getting a little frustrated.

"We keep dancing around the real answers." Tony decided.

"And what is the solution?" she spoke softly. They were gazing deeply into each other's eyes again. The other's eyes were mesmerizing, almost hypnotizing, and they were afraid if they looked away, they would forget exactly how wonderful it is to uphold this staring contest.

"How about a little game?" he proposed.

"A game?" she repeated.

"Yes, a game. For the next half an hour, we get to ask each other all sorts of questions, and the other can only reply with complete and utter honesty."

"Any kind of question?"

"Are you afraid of what I might ask, Miss David?" She laughed.

"I have nothing to worry about. You, on the other hand…let's just say that I am surprised you came up with this idea, but I'm not sure it was a good one."

"Come on, Ziva, have a little fun. I know there's stuff you wanna ask me about certain things. We can ask stupid questions and serious ones, and it'll be good for us." He explained.

"Us as in 'us' us or just…?"

"Is that your first question?"

"I never agreed to the game, Tony."

"Please, Ziva." She looked in his eyes once more and soon regretted it. It took all her will, and she still couldn't tell his sweet, puppy face no.

"Fine." She nearly exclaimed. Tony grinned his thousand watt grin. "But there are rules. No teasing. No sharing the answers with anyone else. No blackmailing. No threatening. No lying."

"Deal." He extended his hand.

"Deal." She shook it, wondering what she had just gotten herself into. At least it would help them take their minds off of how they were supposed to deal with the rest of the summer.

* * *

**Please leave me a review, and tell me what you think. I love all feedback. Chapter 2 will be up soon, so keep on the look out. Love you, guys!**

**NCIStiva3**


	2. Summer Games, Chapter 2

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 2**

"Do you wanna go first?" Tony asked Ziva. They were both curled up on the couch. The movie had been forgotten about. Tony and Ziva were facing each other, their legs tucked under them.

"No!" Ziva affirmed. "You came up with this. You go first."

"Fine. Ummm, are you dating anyone right now?"

"No." she said. Tony tried not to look too relieved. "Do you want a wife and children?" he nearly choked on his beer, but he regained him composure, and reflected on the question for a minute.

"Yes." He replied. She smiled, but the smile abruptly became a yawn which had Tony looking at the time. It was only 11:06. "How long have the nightmares been going on?"

"On and off since my father died." She said.

"No lying."

"I didn't lie."

"You had a nightmare in Paris, Ziva, and you had one when you stayed at my place, so really, how long have they been going on?" he repeated. She sighed. He paid too much attention to her.

"They started when I was nine. That was the first time I saw my father drunk, and he did some things to me, to Ari, to my mother. Tali was sleeping, so she never knew, but the nightmares happen after something traumatic. They eventually go away, but it seems like once they go away, something traumatic happens again." She answered. Throughout her answer, she was trying to avoid Tony's soft gaze. She knew he would look at her like no one ever had before, and she didn't want that at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Ziva." He whispered to her, his hand finding hers on the couch. When his fingers brushed against hers, she shuddered and looked up at him, and he looked at her so adoringly and lovingly. It was almost too much to bear.

"Don't be." She said in a tone as soft as his had been. She gave him a sad smile and moved on to thinking about a question for him. "Is it that you are afraid of commitment, or that you are just afraid of getting hurt?" Tony contemplated how he should answer.

"Getting hurt. I fall too hard and too fast." There was a small moment of silence between the two. "Were you and Ari close?" he had been terrified of asking that question for years, but curiosity got the best of him. Once he saw her eyes widen, he wished he could have just shut up.

"Very close. He was a great brother, and I miss that. He was very protective over me, and I know that he never wanted me to find out about his double life. The big brother side of him would have appreciated everything you and McGee and Gibbs have done for me, though."

"I'm guessing he wasn't always bad."

"No, but he did make a few stupid decisions. Anyways, would you have been happy if you did marry Wendy?"

"I don't think so. Maybe at first, but seeing her again last year, she just wasn't the one for me." He told her. She nodded as if she understood.

"Then who is the right one for you, Tony?" Tony and Ziva were once again staring at each other, their gaze one that lovers would share, but they weren't lovers, yet. Tony thought about Ziva's question for a minute. For a second, he actually contemplated telling her how he felt, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. So, instead, he resorted back to a light-hearted remark.

"That's two questions, Ziva." He pointed out. "Do you blame yourself for your father's death?" She swallowed hard.

"Tony-" she began.

"Answer the question."

"You saw the crime scene photos, Tony. If I had just stayed where I was supposed to be at that table,"

"Then, you'd be dead."

"But my father would not be, and perhaps that bullet wouldn't have grazed Jackie's temple, but I was immature. I stormed out of the room like a teenager throwing a tantrum, and if I could take it back, I would."

"Why did you storm out?"

"That's two questions, Tony." She replied with the same remark he had previously given her, and he felt the sting of the words.

"Were you even remotely jealous of Rivkin?" they were asking the heavy stuff that night, and what was originally a good idea in Tony's mind, came back to bite him. He wanted to call a quits on their little game, but he knew Ziva wouldn't let him off that easy.

"Of course I was jealous of him, but that wasn't why I killed him."

"Believe me, Tony, I know that by now." Ziva interrupted, placing her hand on his bicep, a calming touch because she could tell the subject was still a little touchy.

"I'm not done. When he opened the door to your apartment that night, I just wanted him gone. I hated him because you tried to hide him from me. You told him things you wouldn't dare tell me, and I had never seen you care about anyone as much as you cared about him." They were silent when he finished.

"Just imagine how I felt."

"You never exactly told me."

"A man says he's in love with me, and you automatically assumed he was sent by my father. As if, any man could ever love me, and to make matters worse, you were right. He didn't care. He was following my father's orders."

"He did care." Tony assured her. "He couldn't have spent that much time pretending to be in love with you without actually falling in love with you." She gave him a soft smile in reply, and he returned it.

"It's your turn." She reminded him. Her voice broke him from his trance.

"Right. Why'd you really sleep with Adam?" Ziva internally groaned. Tony was obviously still hurt by it. She took a deep breath.

"I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off things. It actually made me wish I was in D.C. because you would know exactly what movie would be the best for me."

"It's my specialty." He chuckled, satisfied with her answer. She basically said, _I didn't have you with me at the moment, so Adam was the next best thing. _That was enough for him.

"Did you feel anything in Paris?" she inquired. That question literally came out of nowhere to him. Paris was basically a taboo topic for the two of them, and the fact that she had uttered that terrible word rendered him speechless. He didn't know what to think of the question, let alone how to respond.

"What do you mean?"

"That morning, when we woke up." She elaborated.

"What about it?" he asked, pretending to be clueless, but he seemed to snap out of it when he noticed the slightly wounded expression upon her face.

"When you woke up, and you saw that my head was on your chest, my hand over your heart, our legs intertwined, your lips pressed to my temple, my other hand loosely holding yours, and your arm wrapped around my waist keeping me secure, did you feel anything?"

As she described the moment, he relived the entire ordeal in his mind. Ziva had been disturbed from a nightmare in the middle of the night, and Tony was there to comfort her. Tony holding Ziva wasn't even a result of sex. It had just naturally happened.

"What do you mean, 'did I feel anything'?" Tony demanded. "Of course I felt something. I felt great. I had a good night's sleep, and holding you felt great. I still can't believe we allowed that to happen. And when you woke up, all I wanted you to do was go back to sleep again."

"Why?" Ziva whispered. Tony was tempted to reply with the 'that's more than one question' generic answer, but he felt that Ziva's new question deserved an answer, and he was curious to see where the answer would lead them.

"Because it would mean I would get to hold you for a little bit longer." He explained, and her heart skipped a beat. That was probably one of the sweetest things anyone had ever told her.

"Really?" she asked.

"That's three questions, Ziva."

"Fine. Your turn."

"Did you feel anything when you woke up?" after their conversation, she had been expecting that question. It didn't take her very long to come up with her answer.

"I felt safe. I felt comforted. I felt amazing. I had no idea you were so snuggly, Tony." They both laughed at that, but when their laughter subsided, all that was there was the unmistakable adoration in each other's eyes. She didn't feel like this when she had spent time with Ray or Michael, or anyone else who once had a claim on her heart.

"What would you do if I kissed you?" she asked him. He had to make sure he had heard her correctly. Her question dumbfounded him. His gaze went from her eyes to her perfect lips that were calling his name. He tried to keep calm and relaxed when he answered.

"I'd kiss you back." He said to her. Ziva leaned in most of the way, but Tony didn't let her do all of the work. His lips found hers, and they met in a sweet, soft, tender kiss that left both Tony and Ziva breathless.

That one kiss was soon accompanied by more kisses. Tony's hands couldn't stay still very long. He had started off cupping Ziva's face, but then his hands became lost in her hair, and then his hands gently brushed down her arms until he found her hands, and the two of them intertwined their fingers.

They reluctantly parted because they knew how far this could go if they didn't stop it now. Their foreheads were pressed together, and they both had huge smiles on their faces.

They stayed in that position for a couple minutes before Tony tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and decided to ask his question.

"How was that?" he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath tickle the inside of her ear. She smiled as his voice sent shivers down her spine, which did not go unnoticed by Tony.

"Perfect." She simply answered. Tony lightly kissed her ear. "What does this mean, Tony?"

"What do you want it to mean?"

"I asked you, Tony."

"You kissed me, Ziva."

"And you kissed back." She reminded him. "What does it mean?" Tony's hand caressed her cheek before answering.

"It means I care about you so much, and I want a relationship with you." His hand left her cheek and dropped to her hand, taking it in his. "I want to hold you like I held you in Paris. I want to dance with you like I danced with you in Berlin. I want to kiss you like I kissed you when we were undercover. Ziva, I want to be with you." His words went straight to Ziva's heart. She was still trying to process them. They were so sweet and honest, and when Tony said them to her, she had never seen him look so vulnerable. "Do you want that, Ziva?" he asked her. She didn't even have to take an extra moment to think about how to answer.

"Of course I want that, Tony." His smile could rival a young child on Christmas morning, and that smile made her heart flutter. Sometimes, she hated herself because of easily she reacted to the simplest things Tony did. He kissed her one more time. It was shorter than the other kiss that they had shared, but it was still amazing. "Do you want to watch another movie?" she wondered.

"Yes." He told her. The two of them were very close to each other on the couch. Eventually, Tony wrapped his arm around Ziva's shoulders, and the two had a blanket covering them. Ziva's head was lying on Tony's shoulder, and her legs were tucked under her. Tony leaned his lips forward to kiss the top of Ziva's head.

"Do you want to stay the night?" he whispered to her.

"Yes."

* * *

**So...what did you think of the game? What do you think about the story so far? Please leave me a review! I love reading all of them! Thank you so much for your reviews on the first chapter, and I promise to update soon!**

**NCIStiva3**


	3. Summer Games, Chapter 3

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 3**

Ziva seemed to notice that whenever she slept in the comfort of Tony's warm embrace, she never experienced a nightmare. She didn't think about it too much, but she did accept it, so when she woke up the next morning in Tony's bed, feeling completely refreshed, she wasn't surprised.

She observed their current position. He was spooning her, and it felt great. She arched her back into him a little bit more, and it seemed like he was already awake.

"Good morning." He said to her.

"Mmmm." She hummed, brushing her fingertips against his. "Good morning." Tony dropped a kiss to her hair. She turned around to face him.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked her.

"Well, how about some breakfast first?"

"Okay. Where did you wanna go out for breakfast?" he wondered, ready to take Ziva anywhere she desired. She smiled at him, but that wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

"Actually, I was thinking about making breakfast for you here. That way, we can just stay here and not have to worry that we're basically wearing the same clothes we were yesterday. By the way, how did we get in your bed? I distinctly remember falling asleep with you on the couch." She said.

"You were out like a light. I carried you."

"You did not." She argued.

"Yup."

"And I didn't wake up?"

"Your ninja senses were turned off last night." He told her. Ziva started to sit up in bed, and she stretched her arms out in front of her.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked him.

"What do you want to make?"

"You always answer my questions with questions." She said, annoyed.

"Not always. If I remember correctly, I gave you some pretty good answers last night." He reminded her. She chuckled at the memory. That game had actually turned out to be a good idea, but she wouldn't admit that to Tony just yet.

"And I gave you some good ones, too." She added, roughly brushing her hair with her fingertips. Tony's fingers' incessant tousling had messed up her hair, not that she minded.

"Yes, you did. I have some pancake mix in the cupboard above the stove. That should be pretty good for breakfast." He decided. Ziva completely got out of bed and smoothed out her clothes from the night before. She had fallen asleep in her shirt and jeans, and Tony wasn't about to undress her while she was sleeping. Ziva appreciated that, although, she wouldn't have minded to be honest.

Ziva left the room, keeping the door open.

"Where are you going?" Tony called to her.

"I'm going to make breakfast."

"Right now?" he asked. She poked her head into the bedroom.

"Yes. Right now."

"Can't you just stay in bed for a little while longer?" he pleaded. She almost gave in to his puppy eyes, but she held on to her self-control, so she settled with giving her new boyfriend a promise.

"This isn't Paris, Tony. You'll get to hold me again tonight." She gave him a smile before leaving the room again. He could hear her searching the cabinets for the pancake mix. She was also looking around for a pan and other cooking ware. Ziva was cooking breakfast for them. He smiled at the thought.

"Need some help?" he called to her when he heard her searching for something and swearing in Hebrew when she couldn't find it.

"Please." She said, sounding a little frustrated. Tony finally got out of his bed and left to see what was going on in the kitchen. There, stood Ziva with a metal pan in one hand and the pancake mix in the other.

"You know, you look pretty good right now, cooking for me." He told her as he moved closer to her. He gently gripped her hips and gave her the sweet kiss he had been saving for a while that morning.

"Remember, Tony, there's a metal pan in my hand." He chuckled against her lips.

"What were you looking for?" he asked her. She sighed.

"A bowl, so I could make the pancake mix. Do you always eat things that come out of a box, by the way?" she asked. He removed his hands from her hips, and went to a cabinet under the sink. Tony took out a plastic bowl and handed it to Ziva.

"Not always." He argued, although he knew it was useless.

"I guess I will have to put a stop to that."

"I guess you will." He agreed as she measured the amount of water to stir into the pancake mix, which she had already poured into the bowl. He didn't know what came over him, but he took some of the pancake mix on his finger and tapped Ziva's nose with it. She gasped.

"Did you really just do that?"

"Yes." Ziva took some in her hand and smeared it onto Tony's cheek. He leaned forward and kissed Ziva's nose. "Not bad, Ziva. These are gonna be some good pancakes." He took some more batter and wiped it across her forehead.

"If we have any batter left to make any." She said as she took a spoonful of batter and swept it across Tony's lips. She laughed at his reaction.

"I know you wanna kiss me right now." He said, walking towards her.

"No, I don't." she laughed, attempting to get away but he grabbed her and backed her into the fridge in his kitchen. She was trapped. There was no way out. Tony's batter covered faced was hovering in front of her, and she knew what he was going to do.

"Do you wanna kiss me yet?" he asked.

"No." she repeated. He brought his lips to her temple and smudged the batter down her face. Ziva was laughing the entire time. It almost looked like he was tickling her.

"There isn't any mix on my lips anymore. Will you kiss me now?" he asked. She nodded.

"Only because you begged." She said before his lips claimed hers. The kiss was different then the sweet, tender ones they had previously shared, and it was still wonderful. The kiss was more heated and passionate. Tony's tongue, which tasted a bit like the batter, traced her lips, and she quickly complied. They were both panting when they broke the kiss.

"DiNozzos don't beg." He told her.

"You seemed to be begging for me to stay in bed with you this morning." She teased.

"Well, I guess, I only beg for you." He decided.

"I can live with that."

"So can I."

* * *

They finally did make the pancakes. It took a while, but they finally did. They were cuddled up on the couch again, watching 'Roman Holiday' when Ziva broke the comfortable silence.

"Am I staying at your place tonight, or do you want to stay at mine?"

"Your bed has more room." He told her.

"Who said I wanted more room when I am in bed with you?" she asked, and he smiled.

"Well, we have to swing by your place and pick up a few things anyways, and I was actually wondering if you had any plans for tonight."

"Plans?"

"You know, are you doing anything tonight?"

"I'm spending the night with you." Ziva said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go dancing with me tonight." He told her. She gave him a special smile; the one that she especially reserved for him. He loved that smile. He could see her beautiful, white teeth, and her gorgeous lips which were just asking to be kissed. He loved the smile a lot because her eyes had an extra sparkle, and she was looking so intently at him, indicating that he was the one who put that extra sparkle in her eyes.

"Then, ask me." She said to him. It hadn't occurred to Tony that he hadn't technically asked her yet.

"Ziva, will you go dancing with me tonight?"

"Yes." He looked relieved. Even though he was already in a relationship with her and he was absolutely sure he was in love with her, Tony had never officially asked Ziva out. Tonight was different. He was pretty certain that she would say yes to him if he asked her out on a date, but he was still a little nervous.

"It's my turn to ask you a question." Ziva said.

"Fire away."

"Why do you want to take me dancing?"

"You want an honest answer?"

"That would be preferable."

"Dancing is intimate. I'd be holding you close, and we'd be swaying back and forth to the music. I'd probably kiss your forehead a lot and your nose. I can't forget your cute, little nose. There's something different about dancing. When we were dancing in Berlin, I completely forgot Bodnar existed, but I think it's only when I dance with you that I am focused solely and entirely on you." She gave him that special smile again before kissing him once more.

"That's the best answer." She whispered.

"I had no idea honesty could ever be this good to me." Tony told her.

"We still have to be honest and tell everyone about us." Ziva reminded him.

"Let's not worry about that right now. Right now, it's just you and me."

"Just you and me." She repeated. He kissed her cheek. He loved kissing her, and it didn't matter that he didn't always feel the need to press his lips against hers. He just made sure to give her intimate kisses all over her face whenever he could. They both loved them.

"I have to make reservations for tonight." He said, but he didn't really want to get up from their current position.

"I have to go to my apartment and pick up a few things." She said, reaching over to the coffee table to grab her car keys.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. "I'm very helpful." Ziva laughed.

"I think I have it under control, Tony, but thank you. Anyways, you still need to make the reservations." She said, caressing his cheek.

"Are you getting sick of me already, Ziva?" he teasingly asked.

"Never." She whispered before giving him a kiss goodbye. "I have to pick out a dress for tonight, and I know you don't want to be sitting on my couch waiting for me to pick one." She explained.

"As long as I'm with you." She kissed him again.

"I'll be back in an hour or two."

"I will be right here." It was actually a little hard to leave him, but she knew they would eventually get a little annoyed with each other if they spent every waking second with him, not that he was annoying. This was true for every couple.

Once Ziva left, Tony looked around. He decided that it was probably time to tidy up his apartment a little bit, but he soon realized that Ziva already did everything. She had washed the dishes and scrubbed the countertops. She had even folded a couple of his shirts that were loosely hanging off the back of a kitchen chair.

He didn't feel like he was being invaded at all. He loved how comfortable they were together. He loved how domestic they were. He loved how she was never very interested in movies, but she would spend hours on that couch watching movie after movie with him, just to be with him. He just loved her. She really was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he wanted to make sure everything turned out alright. They were in this for the long run.

* * *

Ziva had been searching her closets for a suitable dress to wear. She wanted to leave Tony speechless, and she wanted to find the dress that would accomplish just that. Finally, in the back of her closet, she found the perfect one. It was a deep purple, chiffon cocktail dress with off the shoulder lace sleeves. That was the one.

She made sure the dress was carefully wrapped and ready for transport to Tony's place, but that wasn't the only thing Ziva was taking. She had packed a suitcase full of things, so she would be ready for the next four days. She even packed some lingerie, just in case something happened.

Ziva knew she was ready to go the next step with Tony because even though they had not even been together a full twenty-four hours yet, they had known each other for eight years, and there was no one she trusted with her body more, but she knew Tony was going to be a perfect gentlemen about everything. Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang.

She looked down to see who was calling. She smiled when she saw it was Tony.

"David." She said.

"I got us reservations for dinner and dancing at 7:30."He told her. Ziva looked at the clock.

"That doesn't give me very much time to do my hair, Tony." She said, but he could practically hear her smile on his line.

"You'll look beautiful no matter what."

"And I will have to keep all of the waitresses away from you." They both laughed.

"Tell them too bad. I'm yours, Ziva." She stopped laughing. His tone was so serious, and she knew he was speaking from the heart. She loved it when he did because she always fell in love with what was in his heart. He was the only one who could make her blush and feel absolutely beautiful. He had learned that by now.

"I know." She replied. "And I am yours."

"You about done at your place? I think my kitchen misses you. You're the only one who actually pays it some attention."

"Is your kitchen the only one that misses me?"

"Well, you know, I might miss you a little bit, too." He admitted.

"I'm almost finished. I've packed some things that I will need, and I finally decided on my dress."

"You wanna tell me about it?" he asked her.

"You'll be able to see it in a few hours."

"So, I'll see you in probably about half an hour."

"Maybe a little less."

"Alright, see you soon."

"Bye, Tony." She said, and she had a little extra skip in her step as she walked to her car because she was going on a date that night with her boyfriend, the man she cared about more than anything else in the world, Tony DiNozzo.

* * *

**Any thoughts? Any ideas? Please leave me a review to tell me what you did like, or even what you didn't like. I am trying to keep daily updates here, and reviews really encourage me. Thank you for everyone who has read this far into my story. I really appreciate it. **


	4. Summer Games, Chapter 4

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 4**

Tony found himself sitting on his couch, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ziva. He internally kicked himself a few times for being what he thought was so pathetic, but he then realized that Ziva was worth every struggle.

The only thing Ziva hadn't gotten to yet was making the bed. Halfway through making the bed, he had decided to leave something special for Ziva on the comforter for her to find that night. He felt pleased with himself after he had finished. He admired how beautiful the bed looked from where he was standing until he heard knocking on the door. He jogged to the door, and smiled to see Ziva's eyes staring into his through the peephole.

"I need to get you your own key now." He said as he opened the door.

"I think you do." She agreed, carrying her bags inside. Tony knew that Ziva wanted to surprise him with her dress, so he made a conscious effort not to try to figure out what it looked like based on what he could see through the plastic bag wrapped around it.

"Were you looking at my dress?" she asked him.

"No." he said mischievously.

"If I find out that you weren't being a good boy, you won't have a very good time tonight, Tony." Ziva told him.

"I'll be with you, so I doubt that."

Ziva put the bags on the coffee table for a minute before walking up to kiss Tony and then travelling back to the coffee table to pick up her bags. No words were spoken during this exchange, and they both loved how natural it felt, as if they had been doing it for years. Anyone who saw them interact would never guess that they had only been together for a little under a day.

"Is it alright if I put the bags in the bedroom?" she asked him.

"Yup. You can use the drawers if you want."

"Okay." Ziva said, switching on the light as she walked in. She automatically noticed that Tony had made the bed, and it looked very nice. She also noticed a folded piece of paper on one of the pillows on Tony's side of the bed. She gently set her bags in front of Tony's closet and walked over to investigate. She soon learned that the folded piece of paper was a note to her. Her name was written on the outside.

Ziva observed how pretty the stationary was. She came to sit on the side of the bed, and she opened the note.

**My turn. What would you say if I told you I love you?**

She read the card over and over again, trying to let the words sink in.

Tony's knock on the door disturbed her thoughts. She quickly threw the card back onto the pillow where she found it and opened the door.

"Hey. Can I get my suit from the closet?" he asked her.

"Go ahead." Ziva said as she let out a breath and opened the door all the way, allowing him to come in. Tony walked to his closet and pulled out a dark gray suit. Ziva momentarily let her thoughts drift to how great that color would look with her dress. Just as he was about to leave the room, Ziva gently grabbed his arm and spun him around. She just wanted to give him a kiss he would never forget.

When she kissed him, she really did feel a spark. She had no doubt she was in love with Tony, but that kiss really did confirm it. She always felt better in his arms, and he was the only person who really understood all of her moods. She wasn't the slightest bit afraid that things were moving too fast. She processed all of these thoughts as she kissed him, and when he pulled back, they stayed like that, captivated by the other.

"You okay, Ziva?" Tony asked her. She smiled at him. Could she really be any more okay?

"Yes." She whispered. "I just wanted to kiss you." She looked embarrassed for a minute and shyly looked down at the floor. Tony found this absolutely adorable. With his thumb and index finger, he gently raised her chin, so her eyes would be looking into his.

"You can kiss me whenever you want. You know I will. I can't keep my lips off of you." She laughed. He took those same two fingers and brushed them against Ziva's cheek until they finally rose high enough for him to run them through her hair.

"Thank you, Tony, but I should probably get ready for our date tonight." She declared. He gave her a quick kiss.

"I can't wait." He told her. When he left, Ziva went back to sit down on the bed, and she didn't even know how long she had been staring at that note.

_He loves me! _She thought excitedly. _He loves me! _

* * *

It didn't take long for Tony to get his suit on, but his hair was a completely different story. There were a variety of ways he could go with it. He went through all of his ideas and tried to decide which one would be the best.

He could put gel in it, but then it would be too sticky if Ziva wanted to run her fingers through his hair, which she very often did.

He could add mousse, but then it would make his hair too hard, again throwing off Ziva running her fingers through it, and he really loved it when she ran her fingers through his hair, and of course this led him to daydreaming about Ziva…and his hair.

Finally, he decided that leaving his hair completely natural would be best. He shaved his face because he knew Ziva like caressing his soft skin. Then, he smiled because of how much Ziva was affecting him. He was still himself around her, but it was just nice to be able to be _with _her.

To finish it all, he put on some cologne, and he hoped Ziva would appreciate it because he planned on holding her close to him all night.

Ziva already knew how she wanted to look that night. It just took a while to get there, and suddenly, she heard Tony knocking on the door.

"Hey, Ziva, I'll be right back. I'm just going to the store real quick." He said through the door.

"Okay." She called back. Ziva looked at the clock in Tony's bedroom. It was 6:08. Their reservations were at 7:30. "We have time." She reassured herself as she plugged in her curling iron, preparing to curl the ends of her hair.

* * *

Time went by really quickly for the two of them. Tony arrived back at his apartment around half an hour later. At that time, Ziva still wasn't ready.

The two of them had previously agreed that even though Ziva was getting ready at Tony's room, he would still pick her up at seven, so when he looked down at the cable box to find out it was 6:59, he walked over to his door with the fresh bouquet of red roses in his hand.

As he was standing outside the door, a sudden thought came to him. _So this is how my dad went bankrupt. _He really wasn't sure how many more bouquets and fancy dinners he could afford after they resigned, and he knew she really deserved them. That quickly brought him back to the fact that he would have to find a new job very quickly.

Ziva's scuffling feet brought him back to his current reality, and he was no longer worrying about money. He knocked on the door three times.

When Ziva opened the door, his breath was taken away. His reaction was everything Ziva had hoped for and more. She felt a light blush creep onto her cheeks, not that anyone would have been able to notice it.

"You look beautiful, Ziva." Tony whispered.

"Thank you." She said, and then she saw the roses in his hand. "Are those for me?" she asked. He nodded, while handing them to her.

"Yes, they are." Ziva couldn't contain her façade any longer, and she quickly stepped onto the tops of her toes to wrap her arms around Tony's neck and envelop him in a hug. Tony wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Where are your vases? I want to put these in water right now." She said. Tony offered his hand to her, and she grabbed it, as he led her to the kitchen.

"I don't exactly have any vases."

"You don't?" she laughed.

"I think you're gonna have to change that."

"So what do you have, Tony?" she asked him. He showed her what he had been able to find in his cabinet.

"I have a beer mug." He said proudly, and they both started laughing.

"A beer mug?"

"Yup."

"Is it clean?"

"I don't know." He told her. She took the beer mug from his hand and lightly rinsed it in the sink, adding a bit of water to it. She gently took her bouquet of roses, wrapped similarly to the ones given to winners of beauty pageants, and placed them in the beer mug.

"It will have to do." She told him. "Thank you for the roses." She said before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"My pleasure." He told her before taking her hand and leading her out of the apartment.

"You know, Tony, you haven't actually told me where we are going yet." Ziva informed him.

"I haven't?" he teased.

"Do you plan on telling me any time soon?"

"Kind of like you planning on telling me what your dress looked like?" he said as he put the key in the ignition.

"Well, you found out eventually, and if I told you-"

"It would have ruined the surprise." He interrupted, and suddenly she felt like she had answered her own request in his favor.

"Well, how far away is it?" she asked.

"Not far."

"What kind of food do they serve?"

"Ziva David, are you incapable of patience?" she lightly tapped his arm. She was about to say something about patiently waiting in a terrorist camp for a couple of months, but that would completely destroy their good first date mood, and she really didn't want that, so she settled for a simple answer.

"Sometimes." She said.

"Well, then, what am I going to do with you?" he asked, reaching over and finding her hand with his own. Much like they did in Berlin, they held hands while Tony continued driving. "Do you remember the last time we did this?"

"We were hit by a car a few seconds afterwards. It is kind of hard to forget, Tony."

"Yeah. How about this time we watch the windows for suspicious activity very closely?" he suggested.

"I'm sorry, Tony, but I am a bit focused on something else." She told him, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he realized she was referring to him. "I forgot to tell you when we were in the apartment how handsome you look." She said.

"Thank you." Ziva leaned in closer to him and dropped a kiss to his neck.

"And how good you smell." She added.

"Ziva, you're gonna get us into another car accident." In Tony's mind, this translated to, "Ziva, thank you for noticing that I am wearing cologne just for you."

"So, this place, how many women have you taken here before me?" Ziva asked. Tony's face softened.

"The place we're going?" he asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"No one, Ziva. This place is very upscale and special complete with very elegant courses and live, classical music for couples to dance to. A buddy from Baltimore PD told me he took his girlfriend to this place, and it was amazing." He explained. Ziva saw that he looked a little hurt as he explained it.

"Tony, I didn't mean to come across like I thought you took so many different women to dinner and dancing." She told him. "I know how special you wanted to make this for us, and I am really excited about it." Ziva promised him, stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

He looked over at her and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Ziva." He told her. "I know what you meant."

"Do you think we will tell everyone else about us soon?" Ziva finally asked after the question had been on her mind for ages. Perhaps Tony was right, and she really was incapable of patience.

"Soon, Ziva." He said. "Just let it be you and me for a little while, just a couple more days, and then we can worry about everything else."

"Okay." She replied softly, but Tony still suspected that Ziva would need a little bit more convincing.

"Hey." He called, getting her attention. She looked up at him. "Don't worry about anything right now. Just trust me, Ziva. We'll make sure that everything turns out alright. We can worry about jobs and taxes and the team soon."

"I trust you, Tony."

"Good. We can do this. We can get through this. You know we've gotten through worse."

"We certainly have." She agreed.

"Just a couple more days of peace and solitude and me and you. Please?" Ziva knew that his statement would be the closest thing to begging she would probably ever receive from him, at least true begging. She knew he would probably beg her to have pizza for dinner some night when she wanted to cook, but that didn't count in her book.

"Okay, and I want those couple of days just as much as you do."

"Cover your eyes." He asked of her. She looked at him strangely for a minute, and then remembered that she told him she trusted him, which she did, so she did what he asked and put her hands over her closed eyelids.

"Count to 20." He commanded after she put her covered her eyes with her hands.

"Tony." She warned.

"Count to 20." He repeated. She did as he asked and began counting. She felt Tony stop the car when she got to 11. When she reached 20, Ziva felt Tony's hands cover hers, which were still over her eyes, and he gently pulled them down. "Open your eyes." He whispered, and when she did, she saw a beautiful display of lights which glistened in the fountains outside of the door.

"Oh, Tony," she gasped as a valet approached him. Tony quickly got out of his seat, keeping his key in the ignition, and walked over to open Ziva's door, taking her hand in the process.

Even though Ziva was perfectly capable of opening the door herself, she appreciated the gesture. Ziva looped her arm through Tony's, and he led her into the restaurant, named Notre Roman, which was French for "our romance".

"It's beautiful, Tony." She told him.

"Well, here we go." He whispered into her ear.

* * *

**For all of you who think this story is getting a little too fluffy and romantic, don't worry. The date is the next chapter, but there are some angsty bumps on the relationship road coming up, so be on the look out.**

**I am proud of myself for so far keeping up with daily updates. Anyways, please tell me what you think and leave me a review! Thank you!  
**

**NCIStiva3 **


	5. Summer Games, Chapter 5

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 5**

"Tony, this is really beautiful." Ziva told him.

"It's not like I designed the restaurant, Ziva." He said, shrugging off the compliment.

"I might regret this later, Tony, but don't be so modest. I love this, and I know this must have been expensive. It was ten dollars alone for the valet outside."

"Don't worry about it." He whispered into her ear as the two of them made their way to the attendant.

"Reservations for DiNozzo." He alerted the man. The man looked at Tony, then Ziva, and his eyes lingered on Ziva for a little longer than what would be considered professional. Tony followed the man's line of sight, which thankfully wasn't on any of her feminine body parts, but Tony wasn't too pleased to find that the man was analyzing Ziva's left, which didn't have a ring on it.

"Reservations for DiNozzo." Tony repeated, a little annoyed. The man took this as a sign to stop staring at his girlfriend and look at the list of reservations.

"Oh, here you are." The man said. "Table for two under DiNozzo, which I'm assuming is your last name." he gestured towards Tony.

"It is," Tony looked for his name tag, "Aaron."

"And what's your name?" Aaron asked Ziva.

"Same as my husband's." Ziva patted Tony's chest. Tony just wrapped his arm around her tighter, and he gave Aaron a sly smile and a glare that said, _she's off limits. _

"I'm sorry. I didn't see a ring." Aaron said.

"We don't wear them. We got the infinity symbol tattooed on our ring fingers instead, but will you please just take us to our table?" Ziva explained.

"Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo." Aaron said, leading them towards a candlelit table for two in the back of the restaurant. This particular section was very close to the live orchestra, which led to the dance floor.

Tony pulled Ziva's chair out for her and then seated himself.

"Did I miss my own wedding?" he teased.

"I'm sorry, Tony, but he wasn't letting up. Did you want me to simply stand there while he undressed me with his eyes?" she asked.

"Ziva, I really don't mind. I like what you did. I appreciate it. You handled it before I had to knock that guy out." They both chuckled. Ziva reached her hand out, and she put it on top of Tony's, which was already on the table.

"You have nothing to worry about."

"I know."

"Yet, you are still the jealous type."

"I-I-I don't get jealous." He defended himself. Ziva retracted her hand, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms.

"You don't get jealous?"

"Well, I-I mean, yeah, sometimes I can get a little jealous, but who doesn't? You get jealous too, Ziva, and what's wrong with being a little watchful and protective? Pirates always make sure their treasure is taken care of." He justified.

"Does that make me the treasure?" Ziva wondered.

"Do you wanna be the treasure?"

"Do you want me to be the treasure?"

"Yes." He whispered.

"Then, yes."

They were disrupted by two waiters bringing a bottle of Sangria, one that Tony had

ordered over the phone that night, to their table and placing it in the ice bucket.

"Have you decided on what you want to order?" one of them asked.

"Not yet." Tony replied.

"Take your time, sir. We will back in a few minutes." He said before leaving.

"See anything good on the menu?" Tony asked Ziva. Ziva scanned the menu, but her eyes usually ended up wandering to the prices, which immediately made her turn away from that dish.

"What can I get?"

"Anything you want."

"You are making this really difficult."

"Ziva, I told you not to worry right now. Have anything you want." She looked over the menu one more time and groaned in frustration.

"You pick for me." She decided.

"What?"

"I can't choose. Can you pick one for me?"

"Okay. I'll get myself the Chicken Marengo, and I'll get you the De Jaeger. How does that sound?" he asked.

"De Jaeger is French for snail caviar." Ziva said. "Caviar is really expensive."

"Ziva." He scolded her. "Stop. I've got it covered. I want to do this for you. I want to make this special."

"Okay. I trust you. I'll try the De Jaeger, but only if you try it, too. I don't know if I'll like it." She confessed.

"I'll try some, but I want you to try some Chicken Marengo."

"Deal."

"Deal."

The waiter came back very coincidentally, as if he had been intently listening to when they were ready to order. He diligently wrote down what they had ordered and commended their food choices, which caused Tony to have to hide a laugh. Shortly after the waiter left to the kitchen, Tony took the bottle of Merlot from in between the two of them, and poured them each a glass.

"Here's to a summer game, which was a little childish when I suggested it, but turned out to be more than I could have ever asked for." Tony said as he rose his glass above the table.

"To a summer game." Ziva repeated, and they clinked their glasses together.

"Your food, monsieur." The waiter said, completely interrupted Tony and Ziva's loving gaze. He placed the correct dishes in front of Tony and Ziva while the other waiter accompanying him said, "Bon appetit."

"Merci." Ziva replied.

"Alright, Ziva, you try your dish first."

"No, you." She argued. Neither one of them had picked up their forks yet, in fear that they would have an irresistible urge to spit the food back up.

"On the count of three. You and me together." Tony decided, and Ziva eventually compromised.

"One." The two of them took their forks in their hands.

"Two." They brought the forks to their mouths.

"Three." They said unanimously, biting the food off the fork. After a few seconds of tasting the food, they spoke simultaneously with smiles on their faces. "You have to try this!" they both said.

"Okay. I want you to try this first." Ziva declared, putting some more onto her fork and holding it out in front of Tony. Tony opened his mouth, and Ziva fed him the food, which he actually enjoyed.

"Oh, my God." He said. "Now, you have to try this." Tony basically did the same thing, feeding Ziva food from his fork.

"This tastes amazing."

"I think I may actually like your food more." Tony said.

"Oh, really?" Ziva asked. "Well, I like yours more." They made a silent decision to switch meals, and they enjoyed every bite.

"Thank you for dinner, Tony." Ziva said when the waiter took their empty plates from the table.

"You're welcome, but it's not over yet. There's still dessert and dancing." He reminded her.

"Dessert?" she questioned.

"How about you and I split a piece of chocolate cake?" he suggested.

"That sounds great."

"Okay, waiter!" Tony exclaimed, and he rose his hand, which Ziva nearly slapped.

"Tony!" she quietly shouted at him.

"What? My girlfriend wants a piece of chocolate cake, so my girlfriend will get a frickin' piece of chocolate cake." Ziva had to admit the thought was sweet, but a little cheesy, not that things they had admitted to each other so far weren't cheesy. Ziva reflected on them. Cheesy as they may have been to other people, their words to each other were genuine and honest.

"You don't have to raise your hand and call for the waiter. Your girlfriend wants to wait like a normal person."

"Then my girlfriend will wait like a normal person." He declared as he finished his first glass of wine. He looked across the table to see that Ziva had already finished hers. Tony refilled each of their glasses.

"What's this one to?" Ziva asked him. Tony pondered on what they should drink to. Finally, he knew what he wanted to say. The words were finally on his tongue. He had practically written them out for her. Now, he just needed to say them.

"Here's to love." He toasted. Ziva felt like she was about to drop her glass because of how much Tony's toast shocked her. She knew how hard it must have been to work up enough courage to say those words, even though he hadn't technically confessed his love to Ziva yet.

"To love." Ziva echoed, and her voice helped reassure Tony that they were a very good fit for each other.

When their piece of cake was brought to them, they each took a spoon and began eating the decadent chocolate, of course feeding each other a spoonful or two every now and then. At one point, Ziva was feeling a little playful, and she rubbed a little icing onto the side of Tony's mouth.

"That's just great, Ziva." He said. Tony tried to lick the icing off, but his tongue couldn't reach that far down.

"Here, let me." Ziva said. She took her thumb and brushed it across that side of his face, effectively removing the icing before placing her thumb to Tony's lips. He lightly kissed it before opening his mouth, and sucking the icing off of Ziva's thumb, gently grazing his teeth along it in the process, making Ziva shudder.

"Did you get it all?" he eventually asked her.

"Yes." Ziva answered.

In the back of Tony's head, it registered that a new song was beginning to play. He took Ziva's hand in his, and looked adoringly into her eyes.

"Will you dance with me?"

"Yes."

He led her to the dance floor, and he held her as close as he could to him. Her head was practically lying on his chest, his chin upon her hair, dropping light kisses to the top of her head every once in a while.

"Do you ever wish that everything could just stay this perfect?" Ziva eventually asked him.

"Right now I do." Tony said.

"Why, right now?" Ziva questioned further, although she already knew the answer. Ziva just wanted to feel her heart flutter when Tony actually did say it.

Tony took his lips from the top of her head and brought them to her ear, where he kissed the inside before breathing into it and whispering, "Because you're here."

The two of them danced with their eyes closed for a few minutes, just feeling the other around them and completely at peace. Things had been screwed up a lot lately, but when they were together, they felt like everything would be alright.

Ziva could have probably fallen asleep dancing like that with Tony, not because she was bored, but because she felt more relaxed than ever.

Unfortunately, the song did end, and it reminded the couple that their night together would also eventually have to come to a close. The light applause from the audience caused them to jump a little, and it disturbed their intimate hold on each other. Tony and Ziva had almost forgotten that there were other people around them at the time.

Before the two of them could hold each other like they were before, Tony broke their current embrace to walk towards the orchestra. Ziva was wondering what Tony was up to when he approached them. She observed Tony whisper something into the older man's ear. Both he and Tony ended up smiling, and Ziva was a little confused about what was going on when Tony began walking back to her.

He took her in his arms again, and Ziva willingly accepted it.

"What was that all about?" Ziva asked him.

"I just asked the orchestra to play a special song." He said.

"Which one?"

"I guess you will just have to find out, Ziva." He told her.

"Will you please tell me?"

"You really are incapable of patience."

"Why do you think that I am?"

"That's your fourth question, Ziva." Tony pointed out. She too her head off of its current position off his chest.

"Are we still playing that game?" Ziva wondered.

"That's five."

"Just answer the question, Tony."

"Well, will you let me ask one?" he whispered.

"You just did."

"That doesn't count."

"Then, yes, ask your question." There was a short moment of comfortable silence between the two, and they really did look in love. Tony was still a little bit nervous, but he knew that once he just said it, he would feel so much better. He also knew that if he was able to say it once, the words would eventually slip effortlessly from his lips.

He looked forward to the day where that would happen. Unfortunately, he was brought back to reality, and realized that today was not one of those days. He was sure Ziva had found the note he left her on his bed, so the question had probably been on her mind. Tony gave her plenty of time to think about her answer.

"My question is: what would do if I told you that I'm in love with you?"

"I would give you the most tender, yet passionate kiss I could come up with and then look into your eyes as I tell you that I am in love with you as well." He sighed out of relief.

The song finally started playing. That entire time they had been dancing without any music.

"Did you request this song?" Ziva asked him.

"Yes."

"What is it called?"

"This is the orchestral version of _A Thousand Years_ by: Christina Perri." Tony explained it to her. "I caught McGee listening to it one day, and it turns out that it's actually a good song. I know the words aren't playing," Ziva interrupted his explanation before he could finish.

"Can you sing it to me?"

"You want me to sing it to you?" Ziva nodded.

"Umm, I probably won't be that good."

"I know you can sing, Tony."

Tony had to carefully listen to the music to establish which part of the song it was at. Then, he began quietly singing in her ear.

"_How can I love when I'm afraid_

_To fall_

But watching you stand alone

_All of my doubt_

_Suddenly goes away somehow_

One step closer

_I have died everyday_

_waiting for you_

_Darlin' don't be afraid_

_I have loved you for a_

_Thousand years_

_I__'ll love you for a_

_Thousand more." _He sang to her.

Ziva took in every word, not wanting to interrupt, but Tony had already decided to stop

Singing when the next verse came on.

"That was beautiful, Tony." He told her.

"Thank you."

"I mean it."

"I know you do, and Ziva, I mean it when I say I love you." He told her.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**How was that? Did you like this chapter? I'm sorry I didn't do the song they danced to in Berlin, but given that song's from the 40s, I didn't know if the orchestra would know it. **

**I've gotten a few comments that some people are worried about the angst. All I can say is don't be. All couples fight, and some of them make up. Tony and Ziva will end up happily committed to each other. **

**Please leave me a review because I love to hear from all of you. I'm trying hard not to beg here. **

**NCIStiva3**


	6. Summer Games, Chapter 6

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 6**

After a few days, Tony was surprised at how normal it felt to wake up next to someone and think about that someone during the day. Tony was still being a little possessive over Ziva, though, and she was beginning to feel suffocated. Tony basically wanted her living at his place, spending every last second with him, and they had only been dating for six days. Granted, they had known each other for eight years, and while she didn't want to take things slow, this was moving too fast for her.

They still hadn't even told everybody else about their relationship yet. She would like to tell Abby that she was dating Tony before she told Abby that she was moving in with Tony. Whenever she brought the subject up to him, he dismissed it and continued assuring her that they would tell everyone soon, but they needed some alone time.

That was the day before. Ziva decided she would bring the subject up again over a nice dinner she would prepare. She needed to make sure she looked really pretty, so hopefully it would be a bit of a distraction, and he might give her the answer she was looking for. If it worked, she could try it several more times after this.

"Tony, dinner's ready!" she called to him. Tony was in the bedroom, on his computer. She honestly had no idea what he was doing in there.

"I'll be there in a minute!" he called back to her. Ziva chuckled at his response because she knew Tony well enough to know that he had no sense of time whatsoever. "I'm here." He said when he finally left the room. He took a minute to appreciate Ziva's choice of wardrobe, which consisted of a red camisole with a bit of lace, and some really short pajama shorts. As if Ziva timed this, she bent down to open the oven, which gave Tony a perfect view, as she pulled out the lasagna.

"You made lasagna?" he asked. She nodded.

"I remember you like lasagna." She said.

"I do." He told her, and he gave her a quick peck on the lips as she went to take a spatula from the dish rack to scoop out the pieces. "It smells delicious."

"Thank you." Ziva said.

"So, what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're wearing a revealing tank top and shorts. You just made a special dinner, and you weren't even a little bit curious about what I was doing in my room." He told her. "If you were trying to seduce me, you wouldn't be wearing the shorts." He continued to explain.

"What makes you think that?"

"Come on, Ziva, just tell me what it is you want to talk about." He said before he took a bite of food.

"We're getting pretty serious, right? I mean, we have already said 'I love you', and we've been officially dating for almost a week." She began.

"What's your point?"

"I think that it would be a good time to tell everyone about our relationship. I don't want them to have to find out about it by themselves and then be angry that we didn't tell them. They have a right to know, and I really do want to tell them. I hate that we have barely talked to them during the past few days." She ranted. Tony thought it was a little endearing.

"Ziva." He attempted to interrupt.

"I do not want them to think that we do not want to spend time with them."

"Ziva."

"We should call them and schedule a dinner or something."

"Do we really need to call Abby because it seems like she's sitting at the table with us?" Tony asked. Ziva looked at him with a very confused expression on her face. "You were rambling a little like Abby usually does."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It was a little cute."

"Cute?" Ziva repeated.

"You don't like that word?"

"No. Pick a different one."

"Anyways, I think we should all go out to dinner tomorrow." Tony announced. Ziva smiled, but that smile quickly transformed into another confused look, which Tony thought was cute, but decided he would never say that to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking note of her expression.

"That was too easy." She realized.

"What was?"

"Convincing you."

"What can I say? That tank top does look really good on you."

"Tony, I see that smirk on your lips. Something tells me that my tank top had nothing to do with it." She said.

"Well, I really do like the color red." He defended.

"Tony."

"You know, Ziva, if you asked me what I was doing in the room, you would know that I e-mailed Ducky and Palmer the invitation, and texted it to McGee and Abby, all of whom replied back, saying that they were looking forward to it." He explained to her, taking out his phone from his pocket in the process to show her the text messages he sent to McGee and Abby.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because I was too distracted by your tank top."

* * *

Ziva was a little nervous when the time came to get ready to go to the restaurant. The restaurant was nothing fancy of course because Tony really didn't know how he would be able to afford it with new bills coming in the mail every day.

Tony wasn't a bit nervous at all. He had not even been thinking about how everyone else would react because after all, the relationship was between Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David, so did it really matter what everyone else thought about? At least, they would have each other.

Each time that Tony tried to reassure Ziva that everything would be alright, she inwardly scoffed at how his mind worked. The two of them were just wired completely differently. Tony pressed his lips softly to hers to console her, and it was exactly what she needed.

Everything felt right when he kissed her.

"There's nothing to worry about." He whispered against her lips.

"Okay." She agreed, taking in the closeness between the two, which still surprised. Unlike Tony, who had easily become accustomed to a relationship with her, Ziva was still a little afraid. She wanted to believe that Tony would never intentionally hurt her, and then that word scared her, because she had no idea was Tony was unintentionally capable of.

* * *

"It's alright, Ziva. They'll be happy for us." Tony told her in the car, taking her hand in his.

"I know you're right."

"Good because that'll probably never happen again." He joked, and that could go one of two ways. She could be angry that he was diverting back to jokes and not facing problems like an adult, but on the other hand, she could be thankful that he was trying to make her feel better.

When Ziva graced him with a small smile, he knew the answer was the second option. Tony could tell that she calmed down during the car ride. Just by holding her hand and studying the features on her face, he knew that she wasn't really worried anymore. She started to relax, and then when they pulled into the parking lot, her fingers began to tremble.

"Ziva, it's alright. Calm down." He told her.

"Tony, I'm not anxious. I am just very excited to see everyone again." She suddenly remembered that Gibbs was out on some assignment, and they had no idea when he would return, if he would return. "Almost everyone." She corrected herself.

"And when everyone is together again, which will be soon, we'll all still be happy." He told her, and she nodded. She initiated a sweet kiss, and they both left the car to enter the restaurant where Jimmy and McGee were already waiting at a table.

"Hey!" Jimmy exclaimed. Both men got up from their seats, taking turns giving a hug to Ziva and a handshake to Tony.

"Hello." Ziva said.

"Can you believe it's been week since we all last saw each other?" McGee asked.

"Well, a lot of things can change in a week." Tony replied.

"Talk about it." Jimmy said. "By the way, Breena and I have contacted several adoption agencies, and there is one woman showing a bit of interest in us, but the social worker says she is leaning more towards another couple, which is really starting to discourage Breena." Jimmy explained.

"Do you know if you want to adopt a boy or a girl?" Ziva asked.

"I don't know. We're contacting pregnant women interested in adoption, so we can be with the baby from birth, but it can also mean that the parent has a while to change her mind about it."

"Well, I have no doubt that you will be a father soon, Jimmy." She told him, which brought a smile to his face.

"And how about you, Ziva, what have you been up to?" McGee wondered, and just then, Abby came into the restaurant on Ducky's arm, but when she saw them, she quickly released herself from Ducky's hold and came running towards them.

McGee had the most force exerted upon him. He was the first one she ran to, and she didn't let go of him for a few seconds. She moved in a straight line after him, to Palmer, to Ziva, and finally, to Tony.

"I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you in a week! Especially you two!" she pointed angrily at Tony and Ziva. "I've seen Timmy a couple of times now and I still see Jimmy and Ducky at work, but not even a word from you two until last night!"

"Sorry, Abby." Tony said.

"Sorry! Sorry!" she repeated.

"Abby, we missed you, too." Ziva said, pulling her friend in for another hug. Tony was amazed at how well Ziva could read people to know that Abby was not angry at all. Abby clung to Ziva.

"You didn't answer any of my calls. I know you like time to be alone, but I needed to talk to you and see you."

"We're here now." Ziva assured her, and that seemed to calm Abby down until she added a casual, "Not all of us."

"Let's sit down." Tony suggested, immediately finding his seat next to Ziva, trying to figure out the best way to make the announcement. Tony and Ziva had not really put much thought into it.

Halfway into the meal, Tony felt Ziva's hand squeeze his, and he smiled at the gesture, hoping that no one else noticed. Ziva sought his gaze, and finally their eyes met, and they made the unanimous decision that now was the right time.

"Guys, I have something to tell you." Tony started.

"We both do." Ziva said.

Everyone's attention was on the two of them, and Tony brought their intertwined hands up onto the table, so everyone could see them.

"Ziva and I have decided to start a relationship." Tony told them. This brought smiles and nods of approval, but Abby was full of questions.

"What kind of relationship?" she asked harshly.

"A romantic one." Tony said. "You know, boyfriend and girlfriend? I'm the boyfriend." He said.

"And I'm the girlfriend." Abby looked at Tony and then Ziva, then her eyes looked down at their hands.

"I need to go to the little girl's room." She announced and excused herself from the table. After she left, the men all voiced their congratulations. Ducky, Jimmy, and McGee were happy for them, and Tony was sure Abby was as well, but Ziva wanted to go check on her.

"I'll be right back." She whispered into Tony's ear. She walked into the bathroom to find Abby washing her face in the sink.

"Ziva." Abby said.

"Abby, we did not mean to upset you with the announcement." Ziva assured her, smoothing out her friend's bangs.

"I-I know you didn't."

"Abby, will you tell me what you're feeling right now?"

"Why now, Ziva? Why do you and Tony have to get under the covers now? I'm still trying to get used to everything that just happened! Now, you two are going to actually throw your whole friendship away for a summer romance? I mean, what if it doesn't work out?" Abby had just voiced some of Ziva's own fears.

"Abby, I know things have changed a whole lot in a little bit of time, and I am sorry that I had something to do with it. We've had a lot of bad changes going on, and trust me, I'm afraid of it, too." She confessed.

"Really?"

"And I know that it must have shocked you a little bit to hear that Tony and I are together."

"More than a little, Ziva." Abby corrected her.

"More than a little." She repeated. "But I love Tony so much, and he loves me. We needed a few days to work it out, figure out what the two us have."

"He told you he loves you?" Abby asked with a slight smile on her face.

"And I said it back. We haven't been under the covers, yet, as you say, and we probably won't be for a while because the two of us want to make this work, and we can't do that if we know that our family does not approve of the relationship." Abby's eyes widened.

"Of course, I approve, Ziva! I'm just scared of what could happen."

"So am I, but just when I think the fear of the unknown will destroy me, Tony swoops in and makes me feel so amazing. I promise you, Abby, we did not throw anything away, and we wouldn't have told you unless we knew we would be together for a while." Ziva insisted.

"It's still a lot of change for only a couple of weeks."

"I know, but families help each other accept it, and we need to know that we have our family's blessing."

"You do."

"Good."

"So you two really haven't slept together yet?"

* * *

**The team is told. How do you like the story so far? I love writing it, and I am so proud of myself for continuing with the daily updates. I love all of your support so far, and I really appreciate all the reviews, so please leave me one. Thank you!**

**NCIStiva3**


	7. Summer Games, Chapter 7

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 7**

"Can you believe that you and I are together, and everyone is okay with it?" Ziva asked him happily that night as they prepared to drive back to Ziva's apartment. They decided that Ziva needed to take care of her own apartment. She would spend the night at her place, and Tony would take her out for brunch the following morning.

"Honestly, I knew they would give us their blessing from the start."

"Sometimes, I wish I was more like that."

"More like what?" he wondered.

"Optimistic."

* * *

When they arrived at Ziva's apartment building, Tony was a little reluctant to let her go, but he kept up with the chivalry, which Ziva only accepted from him, and he opened the car door for her. It had started to rain, and it was only a matter of minutes before it would start pouring.

When they heard a clap of thunder, Tony took Ziva's hand in his, and the two of them ran to just outside her door where the two of them were still outside, but they had protection from the pouring rain.

"Thank you for everything, Tony."

"My pleasure."

"You've really been here for me, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it."

"You're not a burden, Ziva." He reminded her. "You know I would do anything for you." He confessed, but he was right. She did know it.

"That is what I am afraid of."

"Don't be."

"Well, I am."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at about 10:30. How does that sound?" he asked.

"Alright." She smiled. "And we really need to talk about some things over brunch." Tony stepped slightly closer to Ziva.

"What kind of things?" he asked huskily.

"Lots of things."

"Like?"

"Like whose apartment we will be staying at for the next couple of nights." This caused Tony to smile as he realized that even though they did need their space from each other at times, which was only natural, at the end of the day, they still wanted to be in each other's arms more than anywhere else in the world. Tony leaned into peck Ziva's lips.

"I love you." He told her. They both were very surprised at how easily Tony had uttered the words to her. That did not come naturally to him. Whether he said it or not, Ziva knew how he felt her and how she felt about him, but when he told her that he loved her outside her door in the pouring rain, when she looked like a wet mess, as opposed to a polished portrait when they were dancing, it only made everything all the more special.

Tony knew that Ziva didn't expect to him to simply say the three magic words twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and if he did that, then those three little words would eventually lose their value, and neither one them wanted to think that just because the words were eroded, it didn't mean the love was. They didn't have to be said as some strange reassurance at the end of phone calls because they knew that without words, without their jobs, without their sense of the word 'normal', they were still in love with each other, and because of how rarely they verbally expressed it, she felt the overwhelming urge to tell him as well.

"I love you, too." And it was the intense gaze that they had on each other before Ziva kissed Tony goodnight again that convinced every innocent bystander around them that they really were in love.

* * *

Ziva did feel good to be home in her apartment, and being alone gave her time to reflect on everything that had been happening recently. She was able to kick back on her sofa, pick up a book, and rest a little bit. She felt completely at peace, and that worried her.

_Is it bad that I don't miss Tony at all?_

She started to think back on all the things the two of them had told each other, confessed to each other, and Ziva mentally slapped herself for saying 'I love you, too' on the first date.

_He said it first._ She reasoned with herself, but Ziva had started thinking that perhaps she wasn't ready to say it back. She had strong feelings for him, but with all of her "success" in the romance category, how was she supposed to know if she really, really loved him, or if she was still in shock from past events and simply seeking comfort.

_We need to slow things down_. She decided. _Before we get too carried away. _

* * *

Tony was on a completely different page than Ziva. In fact, he wanted to surprise her when he picked her up for brunch by giving her a beautiful necklace and a key to his apartment. In his mind, they weren't going that fast at all. They had eight years of lost time to make up for. Because they already knew each other so well, he thought they could just skip some of the awkward dating, and go straight to the "hopelessly in love" phase. The problem was that he had no idea Ziva was on a different page than him.

He spent a very long time wrapping the necklace box in very pretty wrapping paper for her.

Finally, when he looked at the time he was ready to pick up Ziva.

"Hey, Ziva."

"Hi, Tony." The smile she gave him was not as big as the smile he gave her, but he didn't seem to notice. He was distracted by her hair, which she had flat ironed that morning, while contemplating how to tell him they were going too fast.

"Ready to go?" he asked her.

"Yes. Let me just get my jacket. Come on in." she opened the door to her apartment wider for him. He stepped in, looking at how pretty her apartment was.

"I have a couple things for you." He told her. She looked back at him from where she was in the kitchen, grabbing her jacket from the back of a chair.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Come here." She followed him into the living room on the couch, and when he took out boxes covered in gift wrapping, she thought I AM SCREWED.

"Oh, Tony, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to." He handed her the first box, which was the necklace. Ziva was a bit reluctant to open it at first, but she took off the wrapping, and opened the box. When she saw the necklace, her breath was taken away. She fell in love with it. It was a simple necklace, a silver chain, but the pendant was a small, yet beautiful diamond, surrounded by white gold. She launched her arms around Tony's neck, and he happily wrapped his arms around her. Ziva gave him a lingering kiss on his lips.

"It's beautiful, Tony." She declared.

"I hoped you'd like it."

"I love it. Can you put it on me?" Tony took the necklace from her grasp and gently clasped it at the back of her neck. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said, placing a kiss to her neck. "That's not the only one."

"Tony, you got me something else? You really need to stop."

"Well, I could always take your necklace back." He jokingly threatened.

"That's okay. Really, Tony, I appreciate all of it, but you don't need to max out your credit cards for me." She explained.

"Well, here's this one." He handed her the key. "It's a key to my apartment." The key brought Ziva out of her diamond induced haze. She realized she still needed to talk to him about the speed their relationship was going. By this rate, he two of them would be married in two weeks.

"Thank you, Tony." She said with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

"You know, it's for just in case."

"Thank you." She repeated. She quickly went to her kitchen table and grabbed her key chain with her car keys and apartment key. She slipped Tony's key on it, and then suddenly felt that the key chain was heavier. She was dreading the upcoming conversation.  
"You ready for breakfast?" Tony asked her. She nodded.

(insert page break here)

"So, I was thinking about getting a new job." Tony told her.

"Really?" she asked after she took a bite of French toast.

"Bills are starting to stack up on my coffee table. I need a new job." Ziva felt a little guilty as she subconsciously grabbed the diamond pendant on her necklace. Tony noticed it. "Don't worry about it, Ziva." He said as he reached his hand across the table to put it on top of hers, which was still holding the pendant.

"What would you do as a new job?" she wondered.

"I'm a cop, Ziva. I've been checking with some old buddies. Metro has a job opening for a homicide detective. It's kind of like a demotion, but I can make it work, at least until Gibbs gets back." A silence fell over them as they momentarily thought about their beloved boss, who was technically no longer their boss. "What about you? Have you thought about getting a new job?" he asked her.

"I have."

"And?"

"When I was younger, I used to want to be a teacher. Now that I'm an American citizen, my college credits carry over, and I asked about some schools on the Navy base because they would think highly of a retired NCIS agent, and they need someone to teach summer school for children who failed US history. I was thinking because a lot of it is still fresh in my mind from becoming an American citizen that I might apply for the job." She explained. Tony was quiet for a minute as he tried to process everything. "What?" she finally demanded.

"I'm just trying to imagine you as a teacher." He laughed, but stopped at the ghost of a hurt expression on Ziva's face.

"You don't think I could be a good teacher?"

"Well, I mean, a kid gets an answer wrong, what are you gonna do? Point a gun at him?"

"I'm only like that in the field, Tony. I'm completely different with children, especially at this school. The principal on the Navy base told me that this class was mainly filled with special needs kids, and their usual teacher is out on maternity leave. Someone needs to be able to teach these children." She was getting all worked up trying to explain her reasons behind her choice, because she could understand that it was a pretty drastic change.

"Ziva," he stopped her, grabbing her hand. "who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?" Tony asked her. "Look, I'm sorry I made that gun joke, but I just didn't expect you to want to do something like this."

"Well, I do."

"Then, I support it." They smiled at each for a minute before Ziva spoke again.

"There's another thing we need to talk about."

"Okay, shoot."

"You know how much I want a relationship with you, don't you?" she asked him. This got his attention. Tony put down his food and his fork, and discovered he had a bad feeling about where this conversation would lead to.

"Yes." He said.

"Tony, I'm just a little scared. Things between us are going so fast. I know, we have known each for years, but we need time to adjust to being a couple. I think we need to give each other a break sometimes. We need to slow down." She said.

"Slow down?" Tony repeated.

"Tony, I appreciate everything you've done for me, believe me, it means so much to me because you have to me one of the sweetest, greatest men I've ever met."

"Don't say you love me and then take it back, Ziva."

"I'm not!" she exclaimed. "I might be very confused right now about everything that is going on and changing, but I know how strongly I feel about you."

"Then why do you want to slow things down?"

"Because you are different than our relationship."

"Ziva,"

"Tony, I just think that we should be dating a while before we give each other expensive gifts and say how much we love each other, no matter how much we want to and mean it."

"You went along with everything."

"I know, and I probably should not have. I just think that we need a few days apart to think about what we want and what would be best for us. Let's focus on getting our new jobs for now, and we will see how we feel after the break, alright?"

Tony really didn't want to do this, but he couldn't hold Ziva hostage in a relationship she didn't want to be in at the moment. She sounded like she had no idea what she wanted at the moment. Tony got up from his chair and walked over to her. He kissed the top of her head.

"Alright."

It was strange how Ziva felt like they had just broken up.

* * *

**What did you think? Don't worry. Everything will be alright soon. It will take a little while, but I've already written up to Chapter 11, and I assure you things are great. **

**Please leave me a review and tell me what you think. If you've read this far into it, you must have some opinions. What do you think I'm doing wrong? What do you think I'm doing right?**

**I'm sorry for this very long author's note, but I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for sticking around up to this point. I really appreciate it, and I want to thank everyone who has reviewed. I love you guys!**

**NCIStiva3**


	8. Summer Games, Chapter 8

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 8**

"It's been two weeks, Timmy! They haven't spoken to each other in exactly fourteen days! It might as well be fourteen centuries in their time!" Abby paced around her apartment.

"Abby, they are taking a break." McGee said, trying to reassure her. Abby was furious when she heard that Tony and Ziva were taking a break from each other.

"You ever see 'Friends', McGee?" she asked and sighed when McGee began shaking his head. "Well, Ross and Rachel's 'break' lasted around eight years!" she exclaimed. "We are not waiting eight years! Do you know how mad I am at Ziva right now?"

"Why Ziva?" he wondered.

"You saw Tony. He's heartbroken. Ziva broke his heart!"

"In her defense, all she wanted was to slow things down a bit. She had no idea Tony would react like he did."

"Whose side are you on?" Abby asked him angrily, taking out a Caf-Pow! from her fridge and angrily sipping through the straw.

"I just want them to be happy."

"They can't be happy when they're not together! If Ziva had only kept her mouth shut, they would still be all happy and in love with the honeymoon phase."

"They're still in love." McGee defended.

"But they won't admit it." Abby sighed. "Ziva promised me this would last. She told me she loved him, and he loved her."

"She also said she was scared."

"And Tony wasn't?"

"You know she didn't mean to break his heart. They'll go back to each other. You said it, Abby. They're a good fit. Let them work this out on their own. Let them find each other again. They had a fight. It's no big deal." He tried to comfort her.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Abby argued.

"Have you ever heard of a couple that didn't fight? Every couple does. Ask Breena and Jimmy. No relationship is perfect. No one knows Ziva like Tony does, and no one can put that annoying grin on Tony's face like Ziva. They'll be alright. They just hit a bump in the road."

"I'm still upset."

"Have you even spoken to Ziva yet?"

"I left her some strongly worded voicemails."

"Trust me, she's hurt, too."

* * *

Ziva was also counting the days since she last heard from Tony. When it hit the two week mark, she felt her heart ache, and she realized that she had never felt this much pain from a guy before. She had made several efforts to contact him, but he wouldn't answer his phone.

In those two weeks, they had both been accepted for the jobs they applied for. Ziva loved working with the children. There were several kids in the class with autism and Down syndrome, and the smiles on their faces when they understood a problem were contagious. The children often voiced their appreciation for Miss David, and several of the young men had told her she was very beautiful.

She could only imagine Tony telling them she was his, and the thought made her frown again. She missed him. She had used her key to get in his apartment several times, but he was never there. She found herself worrying about where he was on a regular basis, when in reality he spent most of time out of work at a bar, and it wasn't the usual bar he went to.

Tony made sure to go to the bar nearly across the street from Notre Romance, and when he went to get shot after shot of his favorite drink, he would stare at the illuminated title at night, and think about how beautiful she looked when he took her there. How gracefully she danced. How she was so confident when she told him she loved him, and it hurt him so much to think that the love was past tense, or even nonexistent, but the result of red wine, dancing, and the pressure of his eyes staring expectantly into hers.

He kept thinking about everything he did wrong. He decided that the break should be over. He wanted Ziva to be happy, and based on the brunch, he felt like no matter how much he loved her, it wouldn't be enough because the grass is always greener on the other side.

* * *

Two days later, Ziva felt her phone vibrate to alert her she had a new text message as she was sitting on her couch with her dinner. She prayed and prayed that it was from Tony, and it was. She sighed from relief when she saw his name, and she had never opened a text message quicker, but her hands froze when she read the contents.

**You're right, Ziva. Things are going too fast between us. Maybe we should slow it down to a complete stop. Good luck finding whatever it is you're looking for. I just want you to be happy. I hope that we will always be good friends. Tony.**

Ziva didn't know how many times she read that message, but when the words began to blur together, she realized she was crying, and she didn't stop herself. She didn't bother to wipe the tears away. She just cried and cried because to her Tony DiNozzo was definitely worth crying over.

* * *

"I just threw away the best thing that has ever happened to me." She told McGee before taking a swig of beer at the bar.

"I can't believe Tony broke up with you."

"He told me he wanted me to be happy, but I was happy with him. I only wanted to slow things down a little, and now I lost him."

"You'll find someone else, Ziva." He promised her. "I know you will."

"But I don't want to. There is no way that I will ever be able to find someone better than Tony. I just wanted him to return one phone call or just be there one time when I went to his apartment. I love him. I doubted it, but being away from him like this, and how I felt during that time, proved how much I love him."

"I'm sure he would have wanted to hear that."

"I don't blame him for not picking up the phone. I did not exactly handle it very well. I was the one who suggested we should take a break from each other, and now all I want is to spend all the time in the world with him. How bipolar am I?" she asked, angrily slamming her beer bottle against the countertop.

"You're not bipolar, Ziva."

"Then, what?"

"You're in love. People tend to do crazy things. Your judgment was a little distorted. You thought there was something missing, and it turns out you had more than enough."

"He thinks I wanted to break up, McGee. If he would just listen to me for two minutes, he would know how much I want to be with him. It's not easy for me to admit these things!" she exclaimed.

"Do you think it's easy for him, Ziva?"

"I would rather not answer that question because I know you're right."

"Exactly."

"I just don't really know what to do, McGee."

"Let me talk to Tony."

"I thought you told Abby you wouldn't interfere." Ziva said to him, and they both smiled at the temporary silence that followed.

"I simply told Abby not to interfere. I never said anything about myself. I just want to talk to Tony for a few minutes, and then we can see how he feels about all this." Ziva sat still for a second. "Okay?" he asked.

"I don't think he wants to hear it, McGee. You didn't see his face. He looked so hurt. Why would he come back to me, knowing that I may unintentionally hurt him again?"

"Because he loves you."

"I'm not so sure." She whispered. McGee put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks for being here."

"No problem, Ziva. You alright here? You need me to call you a cab?" he asked.

"I am fine."

"You always are." McGee mentioned before leaving.

The seat which McGee had previously occupied became occupied again by a man that Ziva did not pay very close attention to. She was doubtful that Tony still had strong feelings for her after this ordeal.

"Hi. I'm Mark Dutchins." The man introduced himself and extended his hand. Not wanting to be rude, Ziva shook his hand.

"Ziva David." She said.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind my asking, where are you from?"

"Tel Aviv." She replied.

"Tel Aviv?" he repeated, and she nodded. "I love it there. My step-mother is from Tel Aviv, and my dad and I went on vacation there one year. We went to visit every holiday break and summer until my dad asked her to marry him a couple years later. I still like to go there. It's really beautiful for the desert."

"It is." She agreed.

"I remember I failed at trying to learn Hebrew."

"You tried to learn Hebrew?" Ziva had only known the man a couple of minutes.

"Well I learned a few things."

"Like?" Ziva wondered.

"I know _At yafa_ (you are beautiful)and _Ha'im tirtsi lircod iti?_ (Would you like to dance with me?)"

Ziva thought about his offer for a minute. She needed something to get her mind off of Tony for a while. The man seeking her attention was very good looking. He definitely looked like he lifted weights on a regular basis, and he had the kind of hair that women just wanted to run their fingers through. She had no idea how McGee's conversation with Tony would work out, so she had nothing to lose. _What the hell? _She asked herself.

"_Ken._" She replied.

"I know what that means, too." He said as he grabbed her hand and basically dragged her onto the dance floor. Mark had his own dance style that he knew wasn't very good, but he was confident about it. His winning personality had Ziva laughing from the start, so when he asked her to get coffee with him the following morning, Ziva agreed to it, albeit with hesitation, but at the end of the night she was proud of herself because she actually went a whole three minutes without even thinking about Tony.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here, Probie?" Tony asked after he downed another shot of his drink. McGee took a seat beside him. When McGee didn't reply to Tony's question, he took another approach. "How the hell did you find me?"

"We don't have to use government computers to trace cell phones, Tony." He answered.

"I should have turned the damn thing off."

"But you didn't."

"Nope."

"Because you keep looking at your phone every two minutes to see if there's anything about Ziva."

"I broke up with her."

"And she's lost."

"No, she's not." Tony said.

"Well, how the hell would you know? You haven't seen her in over two weeks!"

"She was the one who wanted to take things slow." Tony argued.

"And if you had just cooperated and slowed things down a little, she would have never suggested the break, but you had to start whining. You accused her of not loving you at all, and believe me, she loves you!"

"What do you know, McGee?"

"I know that she cried when she got your text message. Really, Tony? A text message? Were you afraid that if you heard her voice or saw her in person, you would never break up with her? I think, by now, I know how you feel about her. You're crazy in love with her, and you're just straight-up crazy without her."

"So, I guess I'm crazy all the time, then?"

"For a few years now. All she wanted to do was slow things down."

"Because she doesn't love me."

"Because she's scared." McGee corrected him.

"Of what?"

"You know, she told Abby about your first date. Abby wanted to know everything, and of course, Abby told me, even though I wasn't all that interested. That song you requested, which by the way, you better not tease me about again, how does it go? How can I love when I'm afraid of fall?"

"What's your point, McGee?" he asked angrily.

"She is so in love with you that it scares her."

"Really?" he asked with a look of incredibility on his face as he asked for another shot of his drink before staring back at the restaurant sign.

"Think about it. How many relationships has she ever been in where the man didn't either die or disappoint. She's guarded, but I have complete confidence in you that if anyone can break down her walls, it's you, Tony. I think you already have."

"She's worth every struggle."

"Then, why are you here, drinking on your ass, thinking about her, while she's crying with a beer, thinking about you?" McGee asked.

"I don't know."

"Well, figure it out before someone else swoops in and wipes out everything you've worked for, and also, don't tell Abby I talked to you." McGee said before grabbing his jacket off the stool. He wanted to slap Tony on the back of the head, but bringing back the memory of Gibbs depressed him. None of them had had any contact with Gibbs, so he settled with a hard pat on the back.

"Bye, Probie."

"Bye, Tony."

Little did Tony know that Ziva had already accepted a dinner date with Mark Dutchins during their coffee date that morning.

* * *

**Trust me! Please. Give it one more day! I promise you, and would I break a promise? **

**I would also like to thank everyone for all you're support because I extremely appreciate it. I never thought I would have this response to this story. You guys are the best!**

**NCIStiva3**


	9. Summer Games, Chapter 9

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 9**

Ziva felt guilty about the upcoming dinner date. She didn't really know what to do. She knew she shouldn't have accepted his invitation, but she didn't want to cancel the date over the phone. She would meet him at the restaurant, El Parian, and Ziva was suddenly thinking that French food was more romantic. She would let him down easy. Ziva simply wasn't ready to date yet.

She was going through her closet deciding what to wear because both she and Mark had agreed to dress up a bit, even though it was a casual restaurant. In her closet, she found the purple dress she had worn on her date with Tony. She took the hanger and looked at the dress with a smile on her face, replaying the events from that night in her head.

No one had ever held her like he had. No one had ever gone through so much trouble for her like he had. No one had ever made her cry and smile and laugh and want to sing like he had, and now she wished she was getting dressed up for him that night.

She placed the dress on her bed as if she would wear it, but she placed it on her bed because she wouldn't wear it. That dress was off-limits because she knew Mark Dutchins could not make her feel as beautiful in it as Tony had. She wore that dress for Tony, and she didn't plan on wearing it for this date so soon after.

Finally, she found a pretty dress to wear. She didn't check the zipper a thousand times like she had when she was getting dressed for her date with Tony, and then Ziva sighed and nearly slapped herself for continually bringing up the memory of Tony in everything. It was borderline pathetic.

When Mark brought her flowers that night in a vase, and she preferred them in a beer mug, Ziva realized it was no longer borderline.

"Thank you, Mark. They're beautiful." She said enthusiastically as the two of them entered the restaurant.

"You're welcome. I figured you were a white roses kind of girl, so I got you those."

"Well, thank you."

"Do you want a table or a booth?" Mark asked her.

"It does not matter to me, which ever you want." She decided.

"The booth will be fine." Mark told the hostess, and she happily led them to a free booth on the balcony where the music was playing and couples were dancing. This was the more romantic side of the restaurant. Mark tipped the seating hostess and let Ziva get in the booth first.

"This is lovely, Mark." She told him.

"Thank you."

"So, I meant to ask you when we went out for coffee, but where do you work?"

"I co-own an advertising business with a friend from college. His specialty is jingles, and mine is commercials, which is probably why we work so well together."

"Business partners?" she asked.

"And best friends. Friendships like that are becoming rarer by the day."

"Yes, they are."

"And what is it that you do?" Mark wondered.

"Currently, I teach special needs kids on the Navy base." Ziva told him, and he looked at her in awe, as if it was the most amazing thing in the world.

"You Navy?" he asked her.

"Retired Navy cop." She corrected him.

"Law Enforcement?"

"Yes."

"Remind me not to piss you off." He chuckled before taking a glass in his hand and taking a sip of water, but Ziva had to force a look of amusement on her face. She was not just a psycho with a gun.

"I will try to." She settled for as a response.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I had a sister and a half-brother."

"Had?" Mark repeated.

"They died several years ago."

"Oh, Ziva, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I know you didn't, and it was a long time ago. Like I said, it has been several years since it happened." Judging by the way Ziva was staring at the tablecloth as she said that, instead of her date, he figured he should just stop the conversation there.

Their food was brought to them a few seconds after that conversation, which was a relief to Mark because it broke the tension and awkward silence that had seemed to envelop their specific booth.

"How long have you been in America?" Mark finally asked Ziva once he could come up with a question. This was not going as well as he intended. There was conversation, but it all had been started by him. He continued to ask her question after question, which she accepted at first, but they started to get a little annoying. Ziva had barely asked him any questions, and that showed that she wasn't very interested in any answer he could give her. He mainly talked about it all on his own anyways. He felt that he was a very successful man, and that should be advertised. Ziva reached a conclusion that the man wasn't arrogant, but he was annoyingly chipper and confident.

"About eight years now." She replied, and Mark was dismayed when she made no efforts to elaborate or keep the conversation going.

When they finished dinner, Ziva decided she wasn't in the mood for dessert, so Mark asked her to dance with him just once. He reached out his hand to her, and she reluctantly took it, hoping the song wouldn't be very slow. As if the gods of love were working against her, the first few measures played, and the song was painfully slow.

There were singers to sing along with the music, however. Ziva couldn't help but feel like she recognized the song. The music had different instruments playing to give it a slight more mariachi feel to it all, but Ziva could have sworn she knew this song. The name of it was right on the tip of her tongue, and then the man started singing.

_Heart beats fast. _

_ Colors and promises._

_ How to be brave. _

_ How can I love when I'm afraid_

_ To fall_

Ziva instantly recognized it. This was the song that Tony had requested for her, and here she was with a man who wasn't Tony, and that man was asking her to dance with him to that exact song. She couldn't do it. This song was reminding her of her first date with Tony. She loved this song because of everything it meant to the two of them, not to mention how well the song described the relationship between them. She pulled away from Mark to go back to the booth and collect her purse.

"Ziva?" Mark called after her.

She turned around because she figured she owed him an explanation.

"Mark, you are a great guy, but I just can't go through with this. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." Ziva said, as if she had rehearsed that line over and over again, before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. She clutched her purse close to her body and nearly ran out of the restaurant.

"Check, please!" Mark shouted at a waitress.

* * *

Tony had almost forgotten what it was like to have nearly a hundred case files stacked up on his desk, but even though he went to the bar exhausted every day, he knew that he had helped people find peace. If only, that could work for him.

He reflected on McGee's words from the night before. They were very helpful, and they had stayed with him in the back of his mind, fighting mercilessly to be the only thing on his mind, but it was rivaling Ziva.

Ziva was almost always on his mind. He had acted like a child. Ziva used to think it was one of his endearing qualities, but at that point, it was a huge pain in the ass. In hindsight, things were moving a little fast. He should have taken her out on more dates or spent more movie nights together instead of wanting to hold her all the time and buying her diamond necklaces. He understood it all now. Ziva only wanted a break to gather her thoughts, and Tony took it the wrong way. He thought she was regretting everything between the two of them, and that wasn't true. Sometimes, Tony would pick up the phone and dial her number, but he never got around to actually calling her. He just wanted to be with her, but he blew his chance, and now he was thinking of that Eminem song.

_You don't get another chance. _

_ Life is no Nintendo game. _

"DiNozzo!" his boss called to him. "Shots fired at Liberty Heights! Go check it out!"

"Yes, sir." Tony said, following his new boss to the elevator, leaving his partner behind because he would run the background information. Tony couldn't help but think that he looked a lot like McGee when he first came to NCIS, and he had to resist the urge to haze him because technically, Tony was the new guy in this situation.

* * *

Ziva didn't even bother going to her apartment to change clothes. She knew she only had a limited amount of time before Tony left work to go to wherever he usually went to after work. McGee had told her he talked to him, and now she was done letting other people intervene. He wasn't avoiding her any longer. She put the key in the ignition, and she made sure she drove as fast as possible to get to her destination on time.

It took her a while to remember where Metro PD was based at, but it finally came back to her after working with detectives from there for so long.

She quickly pulled into the parking garage, and as she was briskly walking to the entrance, she couldn't stop thinking about the annoying noise the heels of her shoes made every time they hit the ground.

"Detective Anthony DiNozzo?" she asked for quickly.

"He's out on assignment."

"Can I wait for him somewhere?"

"That's his desk right there. I'm his partner. You can just sit at his desk until he gets back, I guess." The man said, and not once did he look up from his computer screen.

Tony was laughing about something when he came in with his boss. It turns out the shots fired at Liberty Heights was just a false alarm. There were no fatalities, so he was not needed, which meant that Tony could just pack up all his stuff and head to the bar, but Tony noticed someone sitting in his chair.

"Ziva?" Tony asked, not believing what he was seeing.

"Hello, Tony." Ziva said, and she could not stop the smile on her face when she saw him. He noticed the smile, and he had to bite his tongue very hard to stop from returning it. He released his tongue from his teeth when he began to taste blood.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk somewhere?"

"Look, anything you say to me, you can say in front of my new partner."

"Actually, I've gotta go home." His partner said. "Nice to meet you, Ziva." He smiled at her. "See you later, Tony."

They both waited for him to leave in the elevator, and Ziva looked around. They were alone in the little office.

"You look nice." Tony noticed. Ziva almost started blushing, even though she could feel the tension between them. The awkwardness was beginning to build up again for the night, but it seemed very familiar being in this situation with Tony.

"Thank you. I had a date tonight." She told him. Tony took off his suit jacket and threw it near his bag.

"Here to rub it in?" Tony wondered, raising an eyebrow. Ziva knelt down to pick up his suit jacket and she folded it before placing it on the back of Tony's chair.

"No." Ziva replied.

"Then, why are you here?" She sighed and looked at her feet before responding. She walked closer to him, and Tony smiled a little on the inside because Ziva never did have much respect for personal space.

"I couldn't live without you, I guess." She said, and Tony knew that was the best answer she could have ever given him. That answer melted the frown on his face, and it seeped into his skin, penetrating every muscle in his body that told him this wasn't a good idea. He wouldn't listen to that. Having Ziva here, even like this, was the best feeling, he had in days.

"Really?" Tony asked, and he couldn't help the smirk on his lips, and Ziva allowed it because it meant the two of them were making progress.

"The man was nice, but he didn't buy me flowers in a beer mug." She said.

Tony smiled.

"My dress didn't take his breath away."

Tony smiled.

"He would not stop asking me questions."

Tony smiled.

"And when the song _A Thousand Years _by: Christina Perri came on, and it had a slight mariachi tone to it by the way," Tony laughed at this. "I couldn't fool myself any longer. The entire time there was only one man on my mind, and it was not the one sitting across from me, like it should have been."

"And do I know this man?" Tony asked jokingly, and Ziva smiled because it meant he was in a better mood.

"I don't know. He has to be the most amazing man I have ever met, and I am in love with him. No doubts. No lies. No regrets. No idea how I could have been this stupid to let it come to this."

"We are both to blame." He reminded her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I am sorry, Tony."

"Me, too."

"I love you, Tony."

"You, too." He said before claiming her lips in a passionate kiss, and he wanted to slap himself for going so long without kissing her. He collected his backpack and his suit jacket, but he wasn't preparing to go to the bar.

* * *

**What did you think? How did you feel about them getting back together? Please, leave me your thoughts in a review. I would really appreciate what you have to say! The daily updates continue! I am proud of myself! **

**NCIStiva3**


	10. Summer Games, Chapter 10

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 10**

Everything between them was perfect. Things were going great. At first, Ziva was convinced it was a dream, but when she woke up to find a red rose and note with familiar handwriting on the pillow next to her, she had a huge smile on her face.

**Ziva, **

** I went to get breakfast this morning, and I didn't want to wake you up. I'll get you some of your favorite coffee, too. By the way, you look so beautiful while you sleep. See you soon. **

** Love, **

** Tony**

Ziva smiled at how that note sounded so much like Tony. She picked the rose up and smelled it, a smile playing on her lips as she smelled the lingering scent of Tony's cologne. Just then, she heard the apartment door being carefully opened. He didn't want to wake her up. She instantly inhaled the food, put the rose and note back in its place, and pretended to be asleep a little longer.

Tony came in the room with two plates in hand. He saw Ziva sleeping in the same spot he left her in. He put the food on the nightstand beside her and lent down to kiss her temple. Then, he took his hands and his fingertips brushed against her waist. She tried not to smile. His lips swept across her ear.

"I always wanted to see if you were ticklish." He accused.

"I am not." Tony tested his theory again, this time harder.

"You are."

"What did you get?" she finally asked him. He picked up the plate as she sat up and wiped her eyes, also stretching her arms. He put the plate in front of her, and just when she was about to take it, he pulled it back. "Tony." She nearly whined.

"You gotta kiss the cook."

"You did not cook the food, Tony." She informed him as he sat down beside her, still keeping the food from her.

"Well, then, you have to kiss the person who took so much time getting up to get out of bed, get you a rose, write you a note, and drive up to the restaurant."

"I did not know McGee was here." She teased.

"There are so many things wrong with that statement, I'm just gonna pretend like I didn't hear it." He decided and she brought his head down to hers and kissed him.

"Will you pretend like that didn't happen?"

"No."

"Then, give me my food."

* * *

Tony and Ziva did not take long to get out of bed after they had breakfast. Somehow, they had both instinctively ended up on the couch in front of a television that was not even turned on at the moment. Simply holding each other, Ziva scanning the movies in his movie collection to pick one, and Tony staring at the blank television, he was the first to break the silence.

"Any plans for today?"

"I have to grade papers." She told him.

"How about you skip that and watch movies with your boyfriend all day?" he suggested.

"What's wrong with grading papers?" she asked innocently.

"I still have a little trouble imagining you as a teacher."

"Well, believe it. I happen to like it, too."

"What are the kids like?" he wondered, and she smiled that he showed a bit of interest in her new job, even though she knew her decision still surprised him.

"They're great. Some of them get frustrated when they do not understand, but when I help them or another student helps them, it is just a good feeling. Some of the other teachers refuse to teach the special needs children because they are labeled as kids who are not as smart as the others, and that is the only time I have to resist the urge to use violence." She explained.

"I can imagine that." He chuckled.

"It's not that these kids aren't smart. It is just that they think differently, so it is a challenge coming up with ways for them to understand, but they are wonderful kids. Lots of people, even their fathers who have gone off to war, have given up on them. I don't intend to do that."

"I wanna see you sometime." He finally said, reflecting on her words for a minute.

"You see me all the time, Tony." She reminded him.

"No, I wanna see you teach them. I'd kill to have you as my teacher. I had crushes on a lot of my teachers, though."

"Some of the boys have already commented that I am very beautiful."

"Huh?" he questioned, and she nodded. "Should I be jealous?"

"I do not know. They are very cute."

"I think I'll have to have a little chat with them."

"How is working for Metro?" she asked him.

"God, it's so strange. You know, we don't get much action. It's mainly just a bunch of drugs, but drugs are fun." They both laughed at that.

"Maybe you could come see me during your lunch break. I only have a short class before mine." Ziva thought.

"Okay." He agreed.

"Tomorrow at lunch?" she asked.

"It's a date."

* * *

"DiNozzo, man found dead in his home! Come on!" his boss called to him.

Tony hadn't had a murder case since he started with Metro PD, so when he learned there was a note written on the man's stomach that was written by the killer, he thought the case would be a little interest. Then, they learned what the note meant.

His daughter, Chaplain Elizabeth Marsden, who had been MIA in Iraq for three months, which meant that Metro PD was conducting a joint investigation with the Major Case Response Team of NCIS. When his boss sent him over because of his relationships with the people at the agency, he only had one question on his mind.

_Why did so many people join the Navy and Marines?_

With his luck, he didn't know how many cases he'd have with NCIS.

"Tony." Dorneget said as he stood up from his desk to shake Tony's hand.

"Dorneget." Tony greeted him. Ned had been appointed the new senior field agent of the MCRT, and he suddenly felt the awkwardness as Tony stared at his old desk.

"I-um-I-I-I just was doing a little decorating at your desk."

"Not my desk anymore."

"But it will be soon, right?"

"I hope so."

"I mean, once Gibbs gets back from whatever mission he's on right now, you guys will come back, won't you?"

"I don't know."

"So, how is everyone? How's McGee? How's Ziva?" he asked frantically. "Abby's a wreck. She nearly bites my head off every time I ask for her to do something, and I make sure I ask nicely, too."

"She here?"

"Yeah."

"Ducky and Palmer?"

"Down in autopsy." Suddenly a voice interrupted a conversation between the two friends. Tony looked behind him, and he was met with a man, not much taller than him. He figured this man was the new boss.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Detective Anthony DiNozzo, Metro PD." Dorneget introduced. The man extended his hand, and Tony shook it.

"Special Agent Craig Meyers, team leader."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Tony said.

"Likewise." Craig responded before taking a sip of his iced tea.

* * *

Tony had driven straight to Ziva's apartment that night because he knew she would be there after work. He found her at her coffee table, smiling about something. As he reflected on it, Tony figured he probably should have asked her what she was smiling about. Ziva could instantly tell something was wrong, though. She put down whatever was in her hand and walked towards him. Tony tossed his car keys on the counter, and he just wrapped his arms around her.

"What happened?" she finally asked him.

"It's a long story."

"We have time." Ziva told him, taking off his suit jacket for him and putting it on the back of her chair. He followed her to her bedroom, and she sat down on the bed, patting the space beside her, beckoning for him to come and sit beside her, which he did.

"Are you sure you wanna hear it?"

"Yes. What is the matter? You look really tense." She noticed, and without warning she moved from her position beside him to behind him. She knelt on her knees behind him, taking her delicate hands to his shoulders and massaging out the knots.

"We had a case today." He said.

"That explains why you look tired."

"With NCIS." He added. Ziva's hands froze on his shoulders. Suddenly, she removed her hands and kissed his cheek, afterwards dropping her chin to his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he put his hands over hers.

"Are you alright?" she wondered.

"I just really want this case to be over. I know we say that about all of our cases, but I really want this one to be over."

"I'm sorry you have to do this, Tony."

"Me, too." She kissed his neck.

"Abby was really excited to see me, though, and so were Ducky and Jimmy. I tried to see Director Vance, but it turns out he was in a conference. Did you know Dorneget is the new me?" he asked her. She smiled against his shoulder.

"No one could ever replace you, Tony."

"That was the answer I was looking for."

"Well, I mean it."

"I know you do."

* * *

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked him, scouring her fridge for something easy to make.

"What do you got?"

"Chicken, and a lot of it."

"Chicken it is."

"I can make chicken pasta."

"Sounds good. Can I help?" he wondered as he watched her set the oven to the correct temperature.

"Grab a bowl." She instructed. He did, and as he did, he noticed something on the coffee table. That must have been what she was smiling about when he walked in.

"What's this?" he asked her. She walked over to where he was standing to see the card in his hand.

"It's a thank you card that my class made for me." She said to him, and he smiled at that before looking at her. "You can read if you want."

"Okay. I will. 'Dear Miss David, we have not known you very long, but you have been very nice to us since you got here. You are pashent and nice, and we know we are not the best kids, but you are the best teacher ever. You do not yell or get mad at all. You help us. Thank you for helping us. We love you, Miss David. Love, your class.'" He read, and he let the words sink in.

"Wasn't that sweet of them?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, it was."

"I'm sure they'd love to meet you sometime."

"I still really want to see you teach because apparently you are the best teacher ever. I'd like to see some of that in action."

"You can stop teasing me, Tony. I know that you think I'm not the ideal person to have as a teacher. Can you imagine one of your teachers as an ex-assassin?" she asked.

"Ziva, I wasn't teasing you. These kids are obviously attached to you after knowing you for only a few weeks. You must be a pretty damn good teacher. Forget about what I thought when you first told me. This sounds like a good summer job for you, but it has to get frustrating, right. I mean, how do you put up with a room full of children who all need special attention?" he asked her. She smiled at him, and he knew he was about to get a good answer.

"I come from the Middle East, where I have seen schools blown up and children afraid to learn, but it is different here. These kids are so fortunate to be able to learn publicly, and I want them to be able to feel fortunate. I want them to feel special, and not just because they have dyslexia or Down syndrome or autism, but because they really are important."

"I'm really proud of you, Ziva."

"Thank you, Tony."

"Really, I am. Honestly, I could never imagine you doing something like this, but I'm glad that you are, even if it's just for the summer." She nodded before kissing him on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, the food momentarily forgotten.

"Are you staying the night?" she asked him.

"I should probably head back to my place after dinner. I need to change clothes for work tomorrow." He said. She kissed him again.

"Alright."

After dinner, Ziva walked Tony to her door. He took his suit jacket back and his keys.

"Should I come to the school at the same time for lunch? Are you free?" he asked her.

"Yes. I will see you tomorrow."

"Love you, Ziva." He said to her before kissing her lips lightly, lingering for only a second.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**Chapter 10! I am in the double digits now. What did you think about this chapter? I know it wasn't very eventful, but I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Please leave me a review, and stay tuned for the next update tomorrow. **

**NCIStiva3**


	11. Summer Games, Chapter 11

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 11**

Several weeks later, and the two of them still hadn't had sex. Abby was ecstatic when she found out Tony and Ziva were back together. She even admitted to McGee that he was right by leaving them alone and letting them work everything out on their own.

There was a reason McGee did not play poker.

Abby was able to instantly tell that McGee had interfered, by not only talking to Ziva, but Tony, too.

Abby still called Ziva almost every day to ask if she and Tony had gone all the way yet. Ziva laughed each time, and told Abby not to think about it too much.

They were both ready to take the next step, but they weren't aware that they were both ready. The couple had not really talked about it. Tony was waiting for Ziva to initiate it, and Ziva was waiting for Tony to initiate it.

During the work week, they had lunch together every day and met at each other's apartments most nights for dinner and a movie, if they weren't too exhausted, which wasn't too often, but it had happened a few times. Sometimes, they would plan on spending the night and bring a bag of extra clothes, but Tony figured it was really time to do something with Ziva for the fourth of July weekend.

July 4, 2013 was a Thursday, which meant that Tony only had to take Friday off for it to be a four day weekend. He had spent some time planning a little vacation for him and Ziva, but he was trying to pick a good location.

Mostly everything was planned and booked. He just needed to ask Ziva, and he was almost certain she'd accept the invitation.

"Do you remember when we'd go to Virginia Beach for cases occasionally?" he asked her in between bites of his sandwich and bites of her salad.

"Yes, why?" she wondered.

"Well, I've heard it's really pretty there, and the beaches are good, especially during the summer."

"So?" Ziva asked. "How does that concern us?"

"Independence Day is this Thursday. We all have that day off. I was thinking that maybe you and I could leave Wednesday night and check into our hotel room, and we could come back Sunday night. It's only a four hour drive."

"I remember."

"There are a lot of tourist attractions at the beach, and I've heard the fireworks show above the water is great. I just think it would be fun for you and me to get away for a long weekend together." He explained, and she was imagining her and Tony on the sandy beaches, splashing water at each other, walking hand in hand on the boardwalk, and sleeping side by side in the hotel room.

"It's very spontaneous."

"That's the best part." He assured her.

"No, it's not."

"Then, what it?"

"That I'm going away with you."

"So, you are going away with me?"

"Of course I'm going away with you."

* * *

The hotel Tony had booked for the two of them was absolutely beautiful. He had reserved a pretty good sized bedroom for them, and this time it wasn't awkward that there was only one bed. There were a couple of pretty couches that matched the sheets on the bed, and Tony was mesmerized by the Jacuzzi tub. He had a bunch of ideas in his head how that could be really fun. When he had finished touring the suite, he found Ziva sitting on the bed, staring at a random point on the wall. He came to sit beside her. Tony opened his arm to her, and Ziva instantly melted into his side, resting her head on his shoulder and intertwining her fingers with his.

She felt so peaceful, and because she was hearing the people shouting on the boardwalk by the beach, Ziva almost did not even want to leave the suite. She wanted to stay with Tony in the hotel room, lying in bed, and she also wanted to explore some things with Tony in bed. She loved him so much, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to show him. It wouldn't be just a physical thing to her or him, and they both knew it, but that didn't mean that they had to keep holding out. They had been together for weeks, happily committed to each other and in love. Whenever the time presented itself, they were both ready to take the next step.

"You okay?" Tony asked her.

"Yes. This is all just so great."

"Do you want to go for a walk and check out the shops?" She nodded.

"I'll get my shoes." She told him, and they broke out of their embrace.

They were smiling the entire time they were walking around. Tony was wearing his swim trunks and a simple t-shirt, and Ziva was wearing her bikini under a pink tank top and jean shorts.

Eventually, they came across a henna tattoo shop, and Tony noticed Ziva's lingering gaze on that shop. He smiled. She wanted a henna tattoo.

"Which one do you want?" he asked her.

"Excuse me?"

"Which tattoo?"

"What makes you think I want a tattoo?"

"Come on, Ziva, let's just go check it out."

"Okay." She agreed, and they walked into the shop together.

After speaking to the person working there for a while, he finally asked Ziva which tattoo she was interested in. Ziva turned to Tony.

"Which one do you like the best?" she asked him.

"What does my opinion have to do with it?"

"It matters to me."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I kind of like the rose or the butterfly. The butterfly is really pretty."

"I used to love butterflies." Ziva remembered. Tony grabbed the butterfly stencil and handed it to the person working there.

"Then, I'll get you the butterfly." After everything was done, Ziva had the butterfly on the back of her shoulder, and Tony thought it was pretty hot, even though it was only temporary.

"Where to next, Tony?" she asked him.

"Wherever, I guess."

"Are you sure?"

"We can just walk around until we see something we like."

"Such as?"

"Such as Ben & Jerry's, which is right there." He pointed to a tiny stand near Ziva. "Are you in the mood for ice cream because I'm in the mood for ice cream right now?"

"Does it matter if I am in the mood for ice cream?" she wondered.

"No." he said before he practically dragged her to the stand. He grabbed her hand and pulled her there, and Ziva found the whole situation amusing. "Do you want one?" he asked her, pulling out his wallet from his pocket.

"Can I just have a little of yours?" she asked him, and she was expecting him to nod or tell her she could just have some of his, but the look on his face told her otherwise.

"Ziva, you do not share Ben & Jerry's. You either do not have any ice cream, or I get you your own damn ice cream." He explained to her the options, and she smiled.

"I guess I would like my own damn ice cream." Ziva ended up getting the same ice cream as Tony, and she laughed so hard when he accidentally dropped his chocolate ice cream cone on the boardwalk. Tony appeared as if he was close to tears. He didn't bother trying to pick any of the ice cream up. He just kept walking.

"Hey, Ziva?" he asked.

"I'm not giving you any off my ice cream."

"But mine fell."

"You dropped it, Tony."

"See. It fell out of my hand because there was a lot going on, and there were some forces of nature working against me."

"What? Like gravity?"

"Yes!" Tony exclaimed. "That is a perfect example. Can I just have a little bite of yours?" he asked her, almost begging.

"Apparently, you do not share Ben & Jerry's, but because of how adorable you look with that pout, I will make an exception." She decided, and she smashed the top of her ice cream cone onto Tony's nose before handing it to him, and he just could not help the thought that they were the kind of people who would smudge the icing from their wedding cake onto each other's' faces.

Eventually, the two of them stopped by a professional photo shop.

"We should get photos done together." He said. Ziva agreed with the idea. She loved that, but then she looked down at what she was wearing and looked over to analyze what Tony was wearing and shook her head.

"Not like this."

"But we should get photos done together?"

"Yes."

"While we're here?"

"Yes."

"Dressed up?"

"Yes."

"Why do we have to dress up?"

"For a professional photograph, we should dress up a little bit. I'm sure we will take random pictures of each other separately and together at different points during this vacation." She reasoned, and he decided she was right.

"Do you think we should start heading to the beach?" he asked her. She nodded, and he grabbed her hand tighter, leading her to the oceanfront.

Ziva was carrying a bag over her shoulder with her, and in it, was a bottle of sun block and two towels for them. They walked down the steps that led from the boardwalk to the sand, and they were not too surprised by how crowded the beach was. They were able to find a nice and secluded spot that was perfect for them.

Once they set their towels in the sand, Tony threw Ziva his shirt and was ready to jump into the ocean, waiting for Ziva in the water, but she called him back.

"What?" he asked. Ziva held up the bottle of sun block, and Tony looked at the container as if it was a bomb about to detonate. "Ziva, I don't need any sunscreen." He defended.

"Fine. If you want skin cancer, go ahead." Ziva said, and Tony turned around to begin his journey back to the water, so Ziva tried different approach. "If you don't want me to take the lotion and take my time rubbing it into your shoulders and your back and your muscular, hairy chest, that's alright."

"That's just mean, Ziva." Tony said, but he was sitting on the towel in front of her just in time to rub some onto her hands to massage into Tony's skin. "This is really unnecessary, Ziva. You know I'm Italian, and Italians don't burn."

"Israelis don't burn." She told him.

"Neither do Italians."

"Why are you so against sun block, Tony?" she asked him.

"It gets in your eyes and your hair, and it's so sticky, and it completely takes away from your cologne that you pick out because your girlfriend loves." Tony would have continued his rant, but Ziva's skin had come into contact with Tony's skin, and that made him instantly shut up. It felt amazing as her hands kneaded his shoulders, and her fingers brushed against his chest, not to mention the gentle, yet firm rubbing of his back. Ziva had given him massages before, but there had always been clothing between them. The contact was over too soon for Tony's liking, and it just left him wanting more. The fact that she was only wearing a bikini didn't help anything either.

"You look really good in that bikini." He told her.

"Thank you." She smiled. "I thought you would like it." She added.

"So, you admit, you like to torture me?"

"There is nothing wrong with a little torture, Tony, it keeps you on your nose."

"Toes." He corrected.

"It keeps you on your _toes._" Ziva said. She slapped his chest lightly. "Alright, now we can go in the water." She said as she got up from her current seat and began walking to the water, but Tony pulled her back.

"Do you think you are really gonna get out of it that easy?"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"I need to put some sunscreen on you." He reminded her.

"Don't worry, Tony." She said, reaching for his hand. "I already put some on."

"You really do like to torture me." He stated, and she laughed.

"It is nothing you can't handle, and I will race you." She said before running, but he caught up to her, and when he did, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, spinning around in the sand with her over his shoulder. When he lowered her down, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he kept her there. The two of them stared into each other's eyes, a collision of passion as her brown eyes met his gorgeous, green ones, and even if they wanted to, which they didn't, neither one of them could hold back from the feeling that washed over the two of them. Not wanting to fight against the magnetic pull that existed between them, they both leaned in at the same time, and met in a passionate kiss.

The kiss was fantastic. Their soft lips moved together in perfect sync, and Ziva legs tightened around Tony's waist, which meant his hands didn't have to support her legs, so they were free to grab her hair and move his hands along her back. She had her arms tightly around his neck, her fingers going through his hair because she knew that drove him crazy.

Ziva could tell something had changed.

Tony could tell something had changed.

But when Tony let her down afterwards and started to splash her a little bit, Ziva knew that the moment had passed, and she put it in the back of her mind to bring up that mind blowing kiss when they arrived back at their hotel suite.

* * *

**Did you like it? Did you absolutely hate it? On a scale of 1-10, how was it? Please leave me a review. By the way, I'm also on tumblr. My name on tumblr is NCIStiva3 (shocker there, right?). Thanks, guys! I love you all so much!**

**NCIStiva3**


	12. Summer Games, Chapter 12

**Most of this chapter is M-rated. If you don't like that, you can read the last few paragraphs, and a new chapter will be up tomorrow. Thank you.**

* * *

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 12**

"You smell like salt." Ziva told Tony as she patted her hair dry with a towel, coming out of the bathroom. Tony had let Ziva take a shower first as he picked out a movie to watch that night.

"That makes sense because, you know, we did just come back from the beach." Ziva had a towel wrapped around her, and it gave Tony a perfect view of her freshly-shaven, tanned legs. Ziva went to sit on the bed, and Tony came to sit next to her and put an arm around her, but she pushed him away.

"Not until you take a shower." She declared, and he went to get up, giving her a firm kiss before he did so. She swatted his butt with the towel she was drying her hair with, and he smiled as he walked to the bathroom. Tony winked at her before closing the door behind him, and she rolled her eyes.

Ziva felt so comfortable sitting on the bed in her towel. She was feeling a little lazy. She didn't want to get up and change her clothes, so she began to wander around their suite some more. She noticed the movie Tony had selected on top of the DVD player, and she picked it up, analyzing it.

**THE PRINCESS BRIDE**

Ziva had never seen the movie before. She heard the shower stop running, so she set the movie back where she found it and awaited Tony's arrival into the suite. He came out with a towel wrapped around his waist to get his clothes.

"You still not dressed yet?" he asked.

"No."

"You plan on getting dressed?"

"I don't know." She said.

"Okay."

"Your hair is still covered in sand." She said, walking towards him and running her fingers through his hair.

"No, it's not." He argued, and he brought his hands up to his hair and they brushed against Ziva's, and when he looked in her eyes to laugh because she was right, something darkened in her eyes at the contact.

Tony gripped her hands in his and pulled them down to directly in front of their waists, almost as if he was restraining himself from coming closer to her. She smiled at his attempt to regain self-control, but she would not give up that easily.

She brought their intertwined hands up to her lips, and she kissed Tony's knuckles. He closed his eyes and desperately tried to stop the shudder that surged through his entire body.

She took a step closer to him and disconnected their hands. She took hers and she used them as tools to make Tony surrender to her control. She brushed them up from his wrists, swept them to his elbows, created a path to his shoulders, and from there, her hands met in the middle of his chest, and Ziva kissed Tony's collarbone, which was only about two inches above where her hands remained.

When Ziva's hands drifted away from Tony's to begin pursuing other parts of his body, he was left with free hands and a beautiful, nearly naked woman, who he just so happened to be in love with, in front of him, and she was beginning to make clear that she was ready for this. His hands were automatically attracted to her hips, and as her hands became bored of Tony's chest, they traveled north, and she snaked her arms around his neck, her fingers connecting at the nape and playing with his hair.

Tony leaned his head forward, and his lips met Ziva's with such an overwhelming, sensual, passion that they were both at the kiss's mercy. The kiss victimized them and nearly brought them both on their knees, and when they were forced to break away for air, they both silently cursed creation for making oxygen a necessity.

Ziva's fingertips were lost in Tony's sandy brown hair, and the grains of sand leftover from his shower were nonexistent in her mind. Tony was still not ready to surrender to Ziva's control, even though she was driving him crazy, and he had a throbbing erection to prove it.

Tony pulled her into another breathtaking kiss, and when they pulled back, he kissed her cheek, her jaw, and he planted several small kisses onto her neck. His arms had left her hips and wrapped themselves around her lower back, and he focused on sucking the sweet smelling skin of her neck. He gently nipped the area, and Ziva could not suppress the moan that escaped her swollen lips.

Tony smiled against her collarbone with a smirk of success, but it was short-lived as he realized her moan had gone straight to his raging, hard cock.

Ziva could feel Tony's erection poking at her stomach, and she released one hand from her boyfriend's hair and slowly began the descent to his hard-on. When her finger brushed against his length through his towel, he groaned, so Ziva repeated the action harder and harder until Tony pressed his forehead against her collarbone, allowing himself to bask in the pleasure she could create.

After a minute or two of Ziva's torturous, yet pleasurable actions, he felt her hands at the top of his towel, and in one swift movement, his towel was a pool around his ankles. When he realized what she had done, they both grinned mischievously at each other.

Tony brought his head back down to her collarbone and kissed every inch of skin south until he reached the top of her soft, white towel. His hands went to her ass and gently squeezed it before giving the top of her exposed chest one kiss and looking up to Ziva with pleading eyes, silently asking if she was still okay with this.

Ziva stared into Tony's eyes as his hands drifted from her butt to the top of her back as he held her.

_No turning back. _

But, who said she wanted to?

She gave Tony a nod, and he dug his fingers into the top of the towel, pulling it from Ziva's body and watching in amazement as the fabric fell to the floor, forgotten about in an instant.

Tony was mesmerized by the sight in front of him, and he promised himself to make sure Ziva knew how much he respected and loved her body. He had never appreciated waiting until he met Ziva, and now everything was perfect. The thousand year wait was up.

Tony hoisted Ziva up, and her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, hugging him closely. Tony had one hand on her lower back and the other on her right shoulder as he brought his lips to her ear.

"You are beautiful." He whispered to her, and her breath caught in her throat as she felt the hot air blown into her ear. She couldn't even respond to his words as she had wanted to.

Tony carried Ziva to the bed and gently lowered her onto it, carefully climbing above her. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before bringing his head to her stomach, just above her pussy, and he surprised her when instead of going south, like she thought he would, his lips traveled north, parting for his tongue along the way.

Tony wanted to memorize every contour, every dimple, every freckle on her body, and as Tony's lips arrived just below Ziva's breasts, his hands reached for hers. She took them and began panting when his lips kissed each nipple.

"Tony." She uttered as his lips traced the outline of each breast, taking a good amount of time to take note of every detail. He took his hands back from Ziva to massage her breasts, and as he did so, he leaned down to kiss Ziva once more, passionately and lovingly.

Her tongue found its way to Tony's lips, and he instantly parted them for her. Neither one of them had surrendered to each other yet, and their tongues went to battle, fighting for dominance, never retreating or progressing.

During their shared French kisses, Tony's hands were still kneading Ziva's breasts, and Ziva's fingertips were lightly scratching the skin on Tony's sides, down to his thighs, and back up again.

When they pulled back from the kiss, Tony removed his body from above Ziva, and she missed the feel of him on top of her.

He knelt down before her form, still lying on the bed, and he began to pay more attention to the bottom half of her body. When he did, he noticed a mark on Ziva's left hip. Upon further examination, he noticed the mark was a brand of **SU** with a circle around the letters. When Tony paused, Ziva knew that he had found it.

"It was Saleem Ulman's way of documenting his victims." She told him, and he didn't say anything like Ziva expected him to. All he did was softly kiss the brand twice, and this brought a smile to Ziva's face.

From her hip, he kissed Ziva's thigh, and he moved his lips to he left, right above her pussy. He kissed the area, and as his tongue darted out of his mouth to taste her soft skin, her gorgeous lips that were just beckoning for him to enter, he brought a finger inside of her, and her sharp intake of breath as she adjusted was nothing compared to the grunt she emitted when Tony pushed a second finger into her.

He noticed how wet she was, and he began to thrust his fingers in and out of her. He thought it was the sexiest thing in the world when Ziva began riding his fingers, and right before she was about to climax, he removed his fingers.

"Tony." She began to threaten.

"What?" he asked as he licked all of the moisture off of his fingers right in front of Ziva. He brought himself back on top of her to give her a few more kisses, and he wasn't too surprised when Ziva flipped them over.

Judging by the devilish look in her eyes, he was going to suffer. She would torture him, and she would take a lot of pleasure in her torture. She kissed his lips, and then abruptly moved them to his ear, like he had previously done.

"You," she whispered, "are at my mercy."

He shivered at the contact and her words.

Ziva loved Tony's chest, and she took her sweet time kissing it, gently nipping his nipples, running her tongue across his chest hair.

When her tongue reached the middle of his chest, it started going down his stomach instead, and just when she was close to the area Tony wanted her attention the most, she stopped.

"Ziva." He whined.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Please." He said.

"Now, who's impatient?" and when he least expected it, he felt her lips on his throbbing cock, and as he let out a groan at the sudden touch, her lips parted, and she took his tip in her mouth, and he had to resist the urge to thrust into her mouth right then and there.

She noticed his struggle and chuckled against his erection before blowing on it. If possible, he got even harder as she blew on him, and then she took him completely in her mouth.

"Ziva."

"Hmm?" she hummed innocently, and Tony pulled her body up on top of his. He firmly kissed her lips.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too."

They both gasped when he entered her, and they immediately adjusted to each other, as if it was a perfect fit. Tony thrust in and out, and Ziva matched every one of his movements perfectly.

When they came, they came together, in a flurry of grunts, moans, sweaty sheets, and each other's names erupting in screams from their lips.

Neither Tony nor Ziva had the strength to move from their current position, so they just held each other, Ziva on top of Tony, snuggling into his chest, and he kissed her head several times. When her breathing evened out, and he realized she was asleep, he couldn't help but think about how much he loved the woman lying next to him.

Sleep fell upon him, not long after. Ziva woke up in the middle of the night, and when she noticed that they were both naked in bed, the events replayed in her head. There was not a single regret in her mind. Ziva was just happy that she had not dreamed the whole thing.

She no longer had a doubt that she loved Tony with all her heart. She lightly kissed his check as he slept, and this small action seemed to wake him up.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to wake you." She said.

"It's fine."

"I was just thinking."

"Please tell me you were not regretting last night." His eyes were wide open now, and they stared into hers with absolute desperation, and a need for caffeine.

"Of course not. Not for a second, Tony."

"Then, what were you thinking about?"

"Last night."

"Anything in particular you like?" he teased.

"You know I will not answer that."

"Why not?"

"You will let it go to your head." She accused.

"No, it won't." Ziva rolled her eyes, and he could tell she had woken up in a slightly playful mood. He loved that mood. He loved being able to tease her a little bit. "Come on, Ziva. Just tell me one thing." She thought about turning him down for a minute, but eventually gave in to his request.

"Only if you tell me something next."

"So, we're playing this game again?"

"I suppose so."

"I have never trusted anyone more with my body." She told him, and he took a minute to appreciate the significance of this. Trust was not an easy thing for Ziva, and he knew that she didn't trust every man she had ever slept with, but hell, Tony couldn't even recall the names of every woman he had ever slept with, but he knew one thing.

"No one has ever driven me so crazy with only a few movements and kisses, and by the way, you have the best kisses in the world. God, your kisses should come with a warning label." She smiled. "Your turn." He reminded her.

"When you kissed the brand on my hip, I think I fell in love with you even more."

"Does the brand hurt you, Ziva?" he asked her.

"No, it does not hurt anymore."

"I didn't think I saw any other scars. Did I miss any?" he wondered. She shook her head, and he felt this against his shoulder, which was currently cradling her head.

"I was beaten and starved, but that was the only thing that stuck. I am just thankful it is easy to cover. Even my bikini covers it."

"It's different for me." He told her, pulling her slightly closer to him.

"How so?" she wondered.

"It just reminds me that someone almost took you away from me. It makes me realize how lucky I am that I got another chance to tell you how I feel, and I'm not blowing it. Now, if I want to tell you I love you, you better be damn sure I'm gonna tell you I love you. I'm angry that you had to go through this, but to know that you survived and you came back to me, I don't ever want to lose a chance again."

She placed a soft kiss to his lips, cupping his cheek with one of her hands.

"You will not lose me." She assured him.

"You promise?" he asked her.

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to always come back to you."

"I promise I will always protect you, so it doesn't have to come to that."

They seemed like reasonable promises at the time.

* * *

**So, this is the first time I've ever written smut. Please, tell me what you thought about it. I spent some time studying smut to make sure I was pleased with what I had written. I just think you guys deserve this, but it was very difficult for me to write, so maybe there will be some more in the future, maybe not, but I hoped you liked this chapter. I'll be back tomorrow.**

**NCIStiva3**


	13. Summer Games, Chapter 13

**Part 1**

**Summer Games **

**Chapter 13**

They woke up with huge smiles on their faces the following morning. No awkward morning after. No regrets, but there was a lot of teasing.

They weren't quite in the mood to get ready for the day just yet, so they threw on some robes that were offered to guests in the hotel.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Tony asked her.

"You." She said dramatically, with a huge, playful smile on her face.

"I don't think I'm very nutritious." He confessed.

"You are delicious, though."

"Thanks for that." He groaned. "Now I need a cold shower."

"You needed one anyways, Tony." She told him, and he scoffed. He walked to the bathroom door and stopped to face her as he slowly untied his robe, not that he was going to really flash her, just to tease her. A teasing smile played on his lips.

"Care to join me?" he joked.

"Sure." She said, and this surprised him. His eyes widened.

"R-r-r-really?" he stuttered, and Ziva smiled.

"No." Tony's face fell a little, and this was the playful, teasing Ziva he knew from years ago. "I would prefer the Jacuzzi." He extended his hand to her, and she quickly took it, grabbing her shampoo and conditioner from the dresser on the way, and Ziva had to debate between slapping that smirk off of Tony's face or kissing it off.

To her, the first option sounded a little fun, but the she was partial to the second option.

* * *

"So, what shall we do today?" Tony asked her as the two of them got dressed for the day.

"Why are you asking me?" Ziva returned, unsure of what she wanted. "You are the one who planned the trip." She reminded him.

"But, it's up to you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"There are horse stables in Norfolk, not too far from here." She informed him.

"So?" he asked. Tony didn't know how the stables related to them. Ziva smiled as she thought about what she had decided to do.

"So I want to go horseback riding with you." She told him. This got Tony's attention.

"H-h-horseback riding?" he repeated.

"Yes."

"Have you ever seen me ride a horse?" he asked.

"No."

"Trust me. We don't want to go riding."

"I love horses."

"Why? They're smelly. They're big. They're kind of scary. They're covered in flies and fleas, and they go to the bathroom wherever they please." Ziva chuckled as Tony explained his reasons. "I'm serious, Ziva. Horses are not friendly." He emphasized.

"I grew up around horses."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, and they are beautiful creatures. I love going riding."

"Great, now I'm imagining you with cowgirl boots and a matching hat." He groaned.

"Do you like it?" She whispered. Tony nodded. "Hold on to that image, Tony, because I can assure you will never see it outside of your head."

* * *

"I can't believe you convinced me to come here with you." Tony scoffed as they got out of the car to pay for the day.

"You told me we would do anything I wanted."

"Well, I thought we wanted the same things. Ziva, I really think we should go back. This is for people who are really advanced, and we have a whole beach waiting for us. Come on, let's go." He reached for her hand, but she just stood there, staring at him.

"Oh, my God." Her mouth dropped wide open.

"What?" Tony asked.

"You do not know how to ride a horse, do you?" she demanded.

"Of course I know how to ride a horse. I just don't like it."

"I don't think you do."

"Look, Ziva, I am the messiah of horses."

"Oh, really?"

"Horses get captured just so I can ride them." Ziva laughed. "They wouldn't let me in the rodeo because they said I was too wild for it."

"I'm sure." Ziva said sarcastically.

"I can ride a horse." He muttered.

"Sure you can, Tony."

"I can, and I will prove it to you right now. We're not leaving this place until you admit that I can ride a horse and ride it good." Ziva stood on the tops of her toes and placed a kiss to Tony's cheek.

"Thank you." She said.

"You planned that, didn't you?"

"You are stuck here now, my messiah."

"Well, I'm not exactly a messiah."

"Really?" she nearly exclaimed.

"Okay. Okay. Laugh it up. You'll be crying when I crush you at horseback riding." He accused, and Ziva smiled.

* * *

"Tony, what is that face?" Ziva laughed. The two of them were on the trail, riding side by side, and Tony was still trying to get the hang of it. He looked very uncomfortable while holding the reins, keeping them away from him like an adult pushing away a child with a smelly diaper.

"This horse smells."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does. I'm telling you, and that creepy grin on its face."

"What grin?"

"A grin that tells me he's thinking about all the ways to throw me off his back."

"But I am sure a wild rodeo rider would know how to prepare himself for that." Ziva teased as she went off the trail slightly to jump over a stray log.

"Show off!" Tony called to her as she did so. He was still trying to get the hang of turning, not to mention that jumping over logs didn't sound very comfortable. He didn't want to hurt his member in any way while participating in this activity.

"Really, Tony, I think the horse likes you."

"I think my horse likes your horse."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Why?"

"Because this is my horse, and that is your horse."

"Are you saying that these horses represent us?"

"Well, that would explain that stupid grin on your horse's face." She returned, and Tony frowned.

"You know, we have to leave soon if we want to make it to the beach for the fireworks show." Tony reminded her.

"I almost forgot about that. Isn't it supposed to be very pretty?" she asked.

"And romantic." Tony added.

"Well, I like both those things, as long as a certain someone is with me." They came to another turn in the trail, and Ziva turned as if it was nothing, but Tony had some difficulty.

"Ummm, Ziva, how do I do this again?"

"Are you a damsel in distress, Tony?"

"Umm, no. Even the messiah needs a little help every once in a while. Every Batman needs a Robin to help him out once in a blue moon." Ziva cringed at the idiom, which was Tony's original intention, but she continued teasing him.

"I always thought you looked like a Robin."

"I look like a Tony." He defended.

"Right now, you look like someone who has no idea how to ride a horse."

"I should've given it a sugar cube. Maybe, then it would like me."

"Tony, all you have to do is grip the reins, and then you turn them in the direction you wish to turn. It is almost like a steering wheel." She explained.

"I've been in a car with you, and you don't use a steering wheel very well."

"Just turn, Tony." He followed her advice and wasn't too surprised when it actually worked.

"How do you know so much about horses anyways? What are horses doing in the Israeli desert?" he asked, confused, and she explained.

"My father's brother, Uncle Isaac, he bred Arabians. Ari used to take me to his horse farm, and the two of us would ride for hours along the sand. I always wanted one of the horses, but my father would not let me have it." She smiled at the memory, and Tony looked at her with fondness.

"What was its name?"

"What name?" she asked.

"The name of the horse you wanted."

"Magen." Ziva recalled, and Tony noticed how it sounded Hebrew.

"Does it mean something?"

"In Hebrew, it means 'protector'." Ziva told him, and he nodded.

"How do you say, 'Can I be your magen?'" he asked, repeating the word slowly and perfectly, making sure he pronounced it just as Ziva had. Ziva always loved it when Tony tried to learn Hebrew phrases, or even just simple words. It made her feel special because she knew Hebrew was not every one's ideal choice for a second language.

"Yakol shelakh magen?" she said, and her foreign Hebrew accent came out as she said the words.

"Yakol shelakh magen?" he asked.

"Ken." She replied.

"I know what that means." He said proudly.

"Why the sudden interest in Hebrew, Tony?"

"Well, maybe it's a sudden interest in a very amazing woman, and Hebrew happens to be her first language. Seriously, I need to learn Hebrew before I die. I really should put that on my bucket list."

"Don't tell me you still have that."

"Okay. I won't."

"Do you take it seriously?"

"I've taken a few things on it seriously."

"Will you ever tell me those things?" she asked him.

"Maybe one day, if you stick around long enough."

"Where would I go?" Ziva asked seriously, and their eyes were drawn to each other. Tony almost forgot he was on a horse at the moment. Then, he noticed the sun was starting to get lower in the horizon, and he had to admit the sun looked beautiful from the trail.

"We should probably head back. We don't want to miss the fireworks at the beach."

"Look at the sun, Tony."

"I see it."

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah." He said, staring at Ziva. "Yeah, it is." They both smiled before turning around, and Tony was trying to keep up with Ziva's pace as they made it back to the stables.

* * *

The fireworks were scheduled to start around seven that night and last until midnight. They arrived back at their hotel at around 6:10.

"I know you had fun, Tony." Ziva said through the crack in the bathroom door, where she was putting her bikini on behind it.

"It was a once in a lifetime thing, and now that I've done it, I won't ever have to do it again, right?" he asked, hopefully.

"You know, I want a horse." Ziva said as she exited the bathroom, throwing a summer dress on top of her.

"We are not getting a horse." He said firmly. Ziva walked towards him and snaked her arms around his neck.

She leaned in and whispered against his lips, "I am sure I can persuade you."

"We have time." He told her, looking at the clock. She followed his eyes and frowned at the time.

"Not enough. I want to be able to do a very thorough job with you." Ziva quickly kissed his lips and carried her bag to the bed, adding her towel, water, and sunscreen. She put her sunglasses on top of her head. "Are you ready to go?"

"You wanna walk there?" Tony suggested.

"Sure." Ziva replied, and Tony took her bag and threw it over his shoulder. There was no doubt about it that Ziva was a very strong woman, and she was capable of carrying her own bag, but she wasn't a devout member of the feminist movement. Ziva loved Tony's little acts of chivalry. Of course, she would only accept them from Tony. She felt appreciated when he took her bag or opened a door for her. There was nothing weak about it.

It didn't take the two of them long to walk to the beach. They knew it would be very crowded, but they were able to find a nice space for them near the water. Tony and Ziva both smoothed out their towels to sit on, and Tony opened his arm to her.

By that time, the sky was getting darker and the air was a bit cooler. It felt so nice. Ziva leaned into Tony, nuzzling her head into his shoulder and rubbing one of her hands up and down his back, which he obviously thought was very soothing.

He placed a small kiss to her forehead, and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you for this, Tony." She said to him, and he responded with another kiss, this time to her nose.

"No problem."

"Really, Tony, this is exactly what we needed. Everything is perfect, and we have not even been here three days yet."

"What was the best part?" Tony asked her, bringing her body a little closer to his.

"This all has been great."

"Don't give me that. What was the best part?"

"Last night was pretty amazing."

"And this morning." He added.

"And this morning." She repeated, and then the first firework went off. Ziva was a little startled at the initial sound, and Tony chuckled when he felt her stiffen a bit in her arms. He was about to tease her because she was afraid of a firework she knew was coming, but he looked at her face, and her eyes were glued to the sky.

The fireworks were beautiful, but he loved seeing Ziva's smile at each one of them.

"Do you like it?" he whispered in her ear. His voice snapped her out of her trance, and she turned her head towards his face. Their faces were only inches apart, and she leaned in first, kissing him soundly.

Every girl's dream.

Every girl wanted to be able to kiss a man and feel fireworks go off in her head. Ziva would always laugh when Tali or one of her friends suggested such a thing, never being able to imagine a kiss where fireworks rang in her head, but when she felt Tony's lips against hers, and she heard the ring of the fireworks behind her, she realized she could never have been able to imagine something as good as this.

Tony was having similar thoughts. They kept the kiss PG because after all, they were on a public beach. There were no wondering hands, and Tony knew there wasn't going to be any lovemaking on the beach, but even without all of that, it was perfect.

"I love it." She told him as they both pulled away. The two of them smiled brightly at each other, and after a moment, Ziva laid her head against Tony's chest once more.

"This is better than I expected." He noticed, and he felt her nod against him. The fireworks were extremely loud in the background, but they seemed to block out all the obnoxious people and screaming children, so they could only hear each other.

"You know, Tony, I checked, and next year, the fourth of July is a Friday." Ziva informed him, and he thought about how that was relevant.

"What about it, Ziva?" he asked her.

"That means we get three days off next year." She told him, and he liked where this was going. "That means we can come back here next year." She elaborated, and Tony looked at her with a little surprise.

"There's gonna be a next year?" he asked her, a little uncertainly, but mainly because he just wanted to hear her say it.

"Without a doubt." He kissed her again.

"We have to call Abby when we get back." He was thinking out loud.

"Oh, I need to talk to her anyways. Did she call earlier?"

"Right before we left, but I figured we could just call her back. Do you think she'll be mad at us?"

"Maybe for a minute until you let me talk to her. Did we both leave our cell phones on the dresser?" she wondered.

"Well, you don't take your phone to the beach. Me, technology, and water just don't mix. It's a recipe for disaster." Ziva laughed.

"How long are we going to stay here tonight, Tony? The fireworks continue until midnight." She reminded him, and he stared at the sky, then his eyes found Ziva's beautiful face, outlining each detail with his own gorgeous, green orbs, not wanting the night to end.

"Whenever you want to leave." He replied, and Ziva sighed against him. She was having similar thoughts as him.

"I do not want to leave." She said against his chest, and Tony smiled because she sounded a bit like a young child who didn't want to leave a birthday party or a trip to the park.

"Then, we can stay until you change your mind."

Ziva nodded and yawned, and Tony realized that Ziva was tired from their late night the previous night, their early morning, their strenuous day of riding of horses, and he just held her tighter against him, his chest the best pillow he could offer her at the moment. He knew Ziva wouldn't admit it, but she was wiped out.

When the time came closer to ten, a lot of people had left the beach. Lights across the bay glowed on the ocean water, working in harmony with the beautiful moon, which happened to be shining brightly upon Ziva. It did not take long for Ziva to fall asleep. Everything was so relaxing.

The fireworks came to a close, and Tony couldn't believe how quickly five hours went by. He momentarily thought about waking Ziva up and beginning their journey back to the hotel, so they could sleep in their bed, but when he looked down at her, and he saw her eyelids flutter, and her eyelashes tickled his chest, the thought left his mind.

Instead, he leaned back, carefully holding Ziva, onto the towel, lying in the sand. He brought Ziva with him, and he grabbed the second towel and placed it on top of the two of them, acting as a blanket for the night. Eventually, Tony fell asleep, lulled by the sound of the waves crashing on the sand and Ziva's soft, almost non-existent, snores.

Before he fell asleep, he was wondering if this could count as one of the big three. After all, the two of them did have a tendency to change the big three a little bit.

* * *

**Lucky 13! Was this chapter lucky for any of you? How did you like it? I'm actually from the Virginia Beach area, so I know a lot about the stables and the annual fireworks show. What did you think about the chapter? Please leave me a review, and I hope you stick around for the next chapter tomorrow. Thank you!**

**NCIStiva3**


	14. Summer Games, Chapter 14

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 14**

Ziva woke up first that Friday morning, and was ultimately a little confused. It eventually all came back to her. She had fallen asleep during the fireworks, and Tony never woke her up. They had spent the night on the beach, and she smiled as she realized she was tucked into Tony, covered in a towel, posing as a blanket. Ziva kissed Tony's cheek.

No response.

She kissed his lips.

Response!

"Good morning." He said, his voice raspy from being awoken.

"Good morning." She returned, smoothing out his hair. "We should probably start heading back soon."

"You're right." He agreed, and Ziva started sitting up, allowing Tony to do the same. "Those fireworks really were something."

"Yes, they were."

"Oh, I just remembered I have to return Abby's call."

"Yes. She probably will not be too happy that we missed it, but she'll get over it. We will explain that we spent the night at the beach."

"What if it was something important?" Tony asked.

"We will find out when we get back. Don't worry about it, Tony. We will back at the hotel within half an hour. We can call her then."

"Okay."

* * *

Tony and Ziva were laughing when they entered the hotel room. Some man high on drugs had approached the two of them, telling Ziva he had seen her in movies with Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. He also told her that he was a director from Hollywood, and if she ever needed a job, she should give him a call. Ziva was trying so hard not to laugh, so Tony finished the conversation for her, posing as her agent, saying that she would.

"I can't believe you played along, Tony!" she exclaimed.

"Do you want a better agent?"

"Well, you were an exceptional agent." She said seriously, and he nodded, understanding what she was saying.

"And now I'm a detective, and you're a teacher. When Gibbs gets back from his mission, hopefully we'll be back to exceptional agents." Ziva knew that was the end of the conversation. It was still a touchy subject for them both, so Tony just walked away and grabbed his cell phone from his dresser, handing Ziva hers in the process.

"Nine missed calls from Abby." Tony informed her.

"I have seven missed calls from McGee." Tony and Ziva looked at each other, and they immediately thought the worst. Ziva typed McGee's number as Tony dialed Abby's.

Abby and McGee were both at Abby's apartment, and they both looked at each other when their phones began ringing simultaneously.

"Ziva." McGee told her.

"Tony." Abby said before picking up. "Tony!" she exclaimed.

"Abby, I'm so sorry I missed your call."

"Forget it! Put your phone on speaker, so Ziva can hear us, too. I'm with McGee right now."

Tony did as Abby instructed, and Ziva hung up the phone she was calling McGee with. The two of them went to sit down on the bed, and Tony held the phone in between them.

"Abby, what's up?" Tony asked.

"Am I on speaker?" she wondered.

"Yes." Ziva said.

"Tim, you tell them." Tony and Ziva could tell that something important was going on while they were away, so when McGee took over the phone, the two of them were more than a little worried.

"Abby called me last night. Vance talked to her."

"What did Vance say?" Ziva asked.

"It was about the top secret mission Gibbs is on." Tony and Ziva both froze. They had tried not to think about the mission too much, but Gibbs was always on their minds. He was important to both of them, and the fact that he suddenly wasn't there to slap their heads or offer advice or guide them, was devastating.

Richard Parsons was right when he was talking to Ziva in elevator. This was really hard for her. She didn't know how well she would be able to handle losing two fathers.

"Gibbs is MIA." McGee finally said. Ziva stopped breathing for a minute.

"MIA?" she repeated.

"Missing in action." McGee clarified.

"I know what it means, McGee!" she exclaimed. Tony put his arm around her shoulder, and she leant into him, albeit a little more reluctantly than he would have liked.

"What's being done about it?" Tony asked before Ziva started to lose her composure.

"We don't know." Abby chimed in. "I pried and spied and eavesdropped, and Vance expected me to do that, too. He knew I would just pass everything on to you guys, so he wants me to treat you like family of the people we investigate. Gibbs went MIA three days ago, and I found out yesterday. Vance tried to assure me this stuff happens all the time, but unfortunately, the mission is ultimately JSOC operations. They're behind the rescue mission." She continued explaining.

"Do they have any idea where he is?" Ziva asked.

"If they do, they didn't tell me." Abby answered, and Ziva nodded.

"Have they even disclosed the details of the assignment Gibbs was on?" she wondered.

"Not with me." Both women sighed. "I'm worried, guys. I mean, I know Gibbs can take care of himself, and he's been in these situations before, but I'm still worried."

"We all are, Abs." Tony told her.

"I guess this kind of ruined your getaway weekend."

"We had a great time while it lasted." Tony reassured her. "Has anything else been going on? We can be back in DC in about five to six hours."

"I got that job as a computer systems analyst."

"Good for you, McGee." Ziva congratulated him, and McGee knew her enthusiasm was forced, even though she was happy for him. Tony and Ziva were still in a little bit of shock.

"Not really. That job makes me want to kill myself. I'm chained to a desk all day."

"Well, it's something, for now." Tony said.

_For now. _

Tony had kept telling himself that these new jobs and new adjustments were only temporary. They would have to put up with them until Gibbs came back. He had to push the thought to the back of his mind that Gibbs might not come back.

When Tony and Ziva had packed up all their things in the car, Tony did not doubt that Gibbs would be okay. It had only been a couple of days, and there were tons of people looking for him. His fears were dealt with, and he was able to comfort himself, but then he took note of Ziva's state at the moment. She appeared to be focused, but Tony could see the terror and worry in her eyes.

"Everything will be fine, Ziva." Tony took her hand in the car, trying to reassure her. She had calmed down a bit, but she was definitely very angry.

"Do you really believe that, Tony?"

"I'm worried, too, Ziva, but I'm sure he's fine."

"It's been three days." She stressed.

"And I lost you for three months." He whispered, and it was a good thing they were at a red light because their eye contact at the moment would have landed them in another car accident, only that one would have been their fault. "That taught me not to give up." She smiled. At first, Tony was a little worried about bringing that up, but it needed to be said. "Besides, he's Gibbs." Tony justified.

"He's not invincible, Tony." Tony squeezed her hand tighter.

"Neither are you, so let the walls down, Ziva. You're with me, and I love you unconditionally. Give yourself time to cry and worry and heal, like you should."

"I don't deserve to. All of this is my fault."

"No, it's not." She looked down at the intertwined hands and then out the window. "Ziva, look at me." He said. Eventually, she did, and she didn't know how to describe the look on his face. He wasn't judging her at all, but giving her a look of genuine concern and pure love.

"What, Tony?"

"None of this is your fault." He tried to tell her, but Ziva wasn't a person who was easily convinced.

"I practically went rogue. I abandoned our team to track down Bodnar and apprehend him, but I should have known we would struggle and one of us would have died. Once again, I did not stay where I was supposed to be."

"You wanna know what would have happened if you did stay where you were supposed to be. At that dinner, you would have been killed, and I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Additionally, the same thing would have happened because I would have been the one who pushed Bodnar off the ship because he would have killed you. Same end result. Now, let's go to the second scenario. If you didn't go to the ship, Bodnar would have gotten away. He would be in South Africa stealing blood diamonds and using them to order hit men on you. That doesn't end well either." He explained, and Ziva was beginning to think that he had been thinking about this for a while now.

"Having Gibbs safe with us is more important to me than catching Bodnar."

"You never could have seen this coming, Ziva. None of us could. Not even Gibbs. Stop blaming yourself for something that can't be fixed because eventually all that guilt is going to build up, and the weight will crush you. I don't want that happening either."

"So what do you want to happen?"

"When we get back, I wanna call Vance and straighten a few things out. Hopefully, he'll tell me some new information. I want you to give yourself a day. That façade isn't fooling me, or anyone, for that matter. Gibbs will be fine, but I know this is hard on you. It's hard on all of us."

"You can't promise me he'll be fine."

"Call it faith. We'll do anything in our power to find him, and I know Vance and the people from JSOC will, too. For now, just take a deep breath, and try not to think about everything too hard." Ziva sighed.

"I'm sorry, Tony."

"Don't be."

Ziva had fallen asleep during the car ride back to DC, but somewhere around Fredericksburg he had started hearing Ziva murmur, and he saw her hands shaking a bit, tell-tale signs of a nightmare.

"Ziva. Ziva." He had observed Ziva during nightmares, and he knew that whenever he woke her up from one, he would have to stand back because she was always defensive when she first woke up. Ziva's eyes fluttered, and her fist flew through the air.

When Ziva was staying at Tony's apartment after her father died, Tony had grabbed her wrist while she was having a bad dream. He was much gentler now. Instead of instinctively grabbing her wrist, he stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. The tender touch allowed Ziva to remember where she was, and when she looked to her left to see Tony driving the car as if nothing had happened, she had to admit that she was a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you." She whispered, and he only reached for her hand, which she gave to him.

"Do you want to talk about it?' he asked carefully, not wanting to push her, but he knew she needed to open up a little bit. He needed to get through this with, not have her shut him out.

"Not right now." Ziva told him, and she saw the look in his eyes. "But I will, soon. Most likely, when we get back." She told him.

"Okay." He replied.

"Stop looking at me like that, Tony." Ziva said when she had reverted back to staring out of her window. Tony smiled a little bit.

"Like what?" he asked innocently.

"You are looking at me like I am a lost puppy, which I am not."

"I'm aware of that, Ziva."

"Please, just do not feel obligated to make me feel better. I have my own way of dealing with things, and wishing for sympathy is not one of them."

"You know, Ziva, I'm not doing all this because I think it's good for you and you should have sympathy, and I need to keep tabs on you every second of the day to make sure you're alright and safe." He began.

"Then, why?"

"Because I need you to get through this, too. Things hurt me, but if you're there with me, which you always are, everything ends up okay for us. I need you, so please do not shut me out." Ziva smiled at him, and then sighed.

"Sometimes, I do not even realize that I do it. Will you tell me when you feel like I am shutting you out?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"Everything will be alright."

"That's the spirit."


	15. Summer Games, Chapter 15

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 15**

"Yes, sir, I understand that, but please." Tony was pacing around his bedroom, begging Director Vance for some information. From Ziva's position sitting on the edge of his bed, she could tell he wasn't getting very far.

"DiNozzo, I don't even know very much right now. I'm trying to do everything I can, but you don't work for me anymore." Vance explained. "As far as I'm concerned, you're all civilians right now. I even have to fly to Baghdad tomorrow to get briefed by JSOC. There's simply nothing more I can tell you."

"Yes, sir." Tony said, trying to disguise the anger and frustration in his voice, but Ziva saw right through that.

"Goodbye, DiNozzo."

"Thank you and goodbye, Director Vance." Tony quickly said before turning off his phone and throwing it against the wall. The noise startled Ziva.

"Tony!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, sitting beside her and burying his face in his hands. "Director Vance isn't giving me any damn information when I know he has something he's not telling me!"

"I know, Tony." She said softly. Ziva had calmed down considerably from their car ride, much to her and Tony's relief, until his phone call with Director Vance riled him up.

"I wasn't so worried until I talked to him." Tony said. "I didn't think there was very much to worry about, but from the tone of Vance's voice, there's something he's hiding." Ziva moved closer to Tony on the bed and began brushing her fingertips through his hair as an attempt to calm him down.

"He's the director of a federal agency. Of course he has something to hide. I am sure it is not something as important as you seem to think it is." She assured him.

"Then, why is he hiding it, Ziva? Why go through all the trouble of hiding something that isn't important? On top of that, he's meeting with JSOC tomorrow in Baghdad." Tony sighed, but Ziva stopped her fingers at this. "What?" Tony asked curiously.

"Did Director Vance specifically tell you he was flying to Baghdad tomorrow to meet with JSOC?" she wondered.

"Yeah. So?" he questioned the relevance. Ziva stared at him incredulously, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Care to share?"

"Tony, Director Vance may sound like he is keeping secrets from us, but in reality, he is giving us clues. He is telling us what we need to know by only saying a few things." Ziva explained, but Tony was still having a little trouble comprehending what she was saying.

"Ziva, what the hell are you talking about?" Ziva looked at him with a smile on her face.

"Why would JSOC want to meet with him in Baghdad unless that was where the top secret mission Gibbs is currently on is being sanctioned?" she asked him. "Director Vance has basically just told us that Gibbs was there at one point, and by disclosing this information, he is giving us approval to track Gibbs's movements. With the help of Abby and McGee, I am sure we can locate him." Tony returned the smile she gave him, and he kissed her soundly on the lips.

"You're a genius." He told her, and she shrugged her shoulders. "You are." He repeated before kissing her again. "I'll call McGee. We can call Abby after Director Vance leaves tomorrow because she still works for him, and we should probably tell Ducky and Jimmy at some point. You know they'll come in handy somewhere along the road." Tony's hopes were suddenly being lifted, and he knelt down to pick up the phone he had thrown against the wall in his fit of rage. His face fell at the sight of the cracked screen. He turned to Ziva. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." She replied, pulling out her phone from her pants pocket. He immediately called McGee, and Ziva heard the two of them exchange greetings, but her mind was not entirely on the phone call.

"Look, McGee, if there's any satellite imaging or video footage we can get from Baghdad, preferably anything with Gibbs or anyone else from JSOC, that would be great."

"Sure thing, Tony. I'll do my best. Thanks for the information. God, it makes me feel so much better about all of this." He sighed from relief.

"Hey, thank Ziva. She's the one who thought about it. I was too mad to process any of it." McGee laughed.

"Yup. That sounds like you." He said. "Anyways, give Ziva a hug from me. I'll call you guys later. Is it okay if I swing by sometime tomorrow?"

"Sure. That's fine with me. Let me just ask Ziva." Tony turned to Ziva once again, her cell phone still pressed against his ear. He found her staring at some random point on the wall, indicating she was in deep thought, completely in her own little world. Tony made a mental note to ask her about it when he got off the phone with McGee. "Ziva?" he called to her. "Ziva?" it was almost as if she was sleeping with her eyes open. "Earth to Ziva?" Tony began walking towards her, and just when he was about to put his hand on her shoulder to shake her, Ziva snapped out of it.

"Yes, Tony?" she asked.

"McGee was wondering if he could stop by tomorrow to meet up with us, you know, talk about this some more in person. Are you alright with that?"

"Yes." She answered quickly, and Tony relayed the message to McGee.

"Alright, Buddy, see you tomorrow." Tony said. He hung up the phone and handed it back to Ziva, who pushed it away, insisting for him to hold onto it. Tony didn't argue, and he set the phone on the nightstand before reclaiming his seat on the bed next to Ziva.

"How is McGee?" Ziva eventually asked.

"He's good. He hates his new job, but it's all good. He asked me to give you a hug for him." Tony said before enveloping her in a warm embrace, which she gratefully accepted. "You zoned out for a minute while I was talking to him." He told her.

"Did I?" she asked, and Tony noticed her attention was back to the invisible dot on the wall.

"What were you thinking about, Ziva?" he wondered taking a different approach. His arms were still wrapped around her, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Ziva sighed.

"A lot of things." Ziva responded simply, and Tony chuckled. Sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get her to talk to try and figure out what was going on in Ziva's mind.

"That answer is not cutting it." He said to her, and she nodded in agreement.

"I know it is not. I was- I was just thinking about Gibbs. I mean, I am feeling a little better about it, but I was just thinking of some things from years back."

"Anything in particular?" Ziva nodded again, and Tony decided not to press her any further. He knew she would eventually tell him on her own, and even though he really wanted to know what she was thinking, it would only annoy her if he kept bombarding her with questions.

"I was just thinking about the night Ari died." She whispered, and Tony didn't speak, willing for her to continue. "That was the night I started trusting Gibbs. That was when I decided I did not want that night to be the last time I ever saw him or you or McGee. Everything changed then. That's what I was thinking about." She told him.

"But nothing else will change, Ziva. Sure, we have different jobs right now, but we're all still together, with the exception of Gibbs, and he will be back soon. Okay?"

"Okay." She whispered, and just when Tony was about to hold her tighter, she broke out of their embrace. She was gentle about it, and Tony didn't fight her, but he was a little puzzled about the whole thing. She stood up and grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand and walked back to Tony.

"I need your car keys." She said before giving her boyfriend a quick kiss.

"Why?" he asked, but he still got up from the bed and walked to the coffee table in the next room, where his keys were laying on top of a few magazines. He handed them to her. "Where are you going?" he wondered as he parted with his keys and his girlfriend. Ziva could see the concern etched on Tony's face, but honestly, he had nothing to worry about.

"Just trust me, Tony." She said, and she was gone before he even had a chance to tell her that he did trust her. He didn't even have a chance to tell her to be careful and drive safely or even that he loves her. He sighed and tried not to worry.

Ziva was driving a route she knew all too well. It was only a matter of time before Director Vance went home for the evening, and she had to talk to him before he left for his flight the following morning.

"The director will see you now." His secretary informed Ziva, and she almost considered turning back and running out of the office like a frightened, little girl, but she had to talk to him.

"Thank you." She said to the woman, and she opened the door that led her to Leon Vance, who met her with a slight smile on his face, standing up to shake her hand.

"Miss David," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"You, too, sir, and please, I'm here as Ziva. Now there is only us here. There is no need to be so formal." She told him.

"Then, please, call me Leon." She nodded. "I have to admit I was a bit surprised when my secretary told me you were here. What's this about?"

"Leon, the only thing stopping me from breaking down and sobbing when I found out Gibbs was missing, was that Tony was there with me at the time." Ziva began.

"You know, crying is not a weakness." She scoffed.

"I am sure my father would say the opposite." Leon nodded. He instantly understood.

"So, is that was this is about?" he asked. "Your father?"

"No!" she said with emotion. "I heard the conversation on the phone between you and Tony, and I could not help but sense you were keeping something from us."

"You know I can't tell you everything, Ziva. This is a classified mission on foreign soil, and you're not even supposed to know that. If you know I can't disclose that information, then why are you here?" the two of them sat still for a moment, competing in a little staring contest as Ziva came up with a way to thoroughly articulate her response.

"I'm not asking you to tell me what he was doing in Baghdad, Leon. I am not asking you to tell me who he was working with, or what exactly happened when you lost contact because I know I am practically a civilian in this."

"That's right. Honestly, I shouldn't have even told you and DiNozzo about Baghdad."

"But you did because you know how much he means to us. I care about Gibbs so much, and he has always been there for me. He has saved my life, and he has taught me everything I know about investigating, and I cannot lose him Leon, when he has done so much for me." Ziva could feel her eyes beginning to water. "I just do not think I am strong enough to lose another father."

"Yes, you are, but it doesn't mean you should have to. You know we're doing everything we can, Ziva." Vance told her, and he passed her a tissue. She smiled at the gesture.

"I know you are. I trust you, Leon. My father trusted you with his life, so I am willing to do the same. I will do anything for you, just as I would Gibbs or Tony or McGee. I want to hear what you think, not as my former boss, but as a man I trust. A man my father trusted. A man I respect and a man who is tied to me through tragedy. Leon, please just tell me if you think Gibbs is alright. I need to know what you think." Ziva was basically begging him to tell her she would be able to see Gibbs again, and Vance was starting to see the little girl Eli David had described to him.

"Gibbs will be fine, Ziva. I really don't have a doubt about it. He went off the grid while rescuing soldiers who were taken prisoner. The holders of the camp were already eliminated, so there was nothing dangerous there. You know Gibbs. He doesn't always follow the rules. That's what got us in this situation in the first place. He probably stayed to collect some things and locate more soldiers who went MIA." Vance covered Ziva's hand with his. "Gibbs will be fine." He repeated.

"Thank you." She said. "That's what I needed to hear." Suddenly, Vance's phone started ringing. He motioned for Ziva to hand on for a minute. He had to take this call.

"Hello?" he answered, and the expression on his face quickly became stern. "I'm sorry to hear that. For how long?" he asked. "Don't worry about it. I'll work something out. Bye." Vance hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, sighing in the process.

"Is there something wrong, Leon?" Ziva asked, and Leon sat back up. He almost didn't want to say anything, but Ziva had practically let her walls down for him. It was only fair that he returned the actions.

"The nanny has a family emergency to take care of in Detroit. She'll be gone for about a week, and I have to leave in the morning, and I'll probably be gone for four, maybe even five, days. I'm still getting used to this." He explained, and Ziva nodded in understanding.

"Leon, I could look after them." Ziva offered. "It really would not be any trouble, and I'm sure I could have a bit of help." Vance was starting to think that this was the best choice. He remembered how much his keys had enjoyed Ziva and DiNozzo.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to have to leave you with two kids for at least four days."

"Leon, I adore your kids. It really is no problem."

"Okay, then, thank you so much, Ziva. I really appreciate it. Can you pick them up from my house around nine tomorrow morning?" he asked her, so he could get some help with Kayla and Jared that night.

"Of course."

* * *

**How did you like that? Tony and Ziva are going to watch Kayla and Jared! Do you know what that means? Anyways, my favorite part of this to write was the Ziva/Vance scene. What was your favorite part to read?**

**Your reviews so far have been so sweet, and they continue to motivate me , bringing a smile to my face all throughout the day. Thank you so much for everyone who has read up to this point, and extra thanks to those who have reviewed my story. **

**I am still amazed by how many people are enjoying it. You are the best! I love you all!**

**NCIStiva3**


	16. Summer Games, Chapter 16

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 16**

Tony was sitting on his couch in the living room, pretending like he wasn't staring at the clock and counting how long Ziva had been gone. He picked up a magazine and tried to focus on the small print, but it wasn't working.

When Ziva came through the door a few minutes later, he tried to be all nonchalant about it like he wasn't worried about her, and Ziva smiled. She came to sit beside him and took the magazine from his hands.

"I was reading that!" he exclaimed.

"No, you were not." She argued, and she handed him back his car keys. "Do you want to know where I went?" she asked him.

"Please."

"I went by NCIS to talk to Leon."

"Leon?" he questioned.

"Yes. I had to know if he thought Gibbs was alright. He assured me that Gibbs just broke a couple of orders, and he is in no danger. All of the insurgents who imprisoned the soldiers Gibbs was rescuing were already killed before Gibbs went in. There was no way he could have been captured. Vance told me he probably just stuck around to look for more, but the important thing is that Gibbs is fine." Ziva explained, and Tony smiled.

"That's great news!" he exclaimed, and Ziva smiled.

"That is not it, either." She said.

"What else? Good news or bad news?"

"I would like to think that it is good news." Ziva said.

"Okay. What is it?" Ziva hesitated for a minute, and Tony just stared at her, waiting for her to speak to him. Ziva scolded herself for worrying about how he would react. It wasn't like Tony hated kids. He just preferred other things.

"Do you think we could stay at my apartment for the next four or five days? It is a two bedroom."

"Sure, we can, but why?"

"Leon's nanny has to take a week off because of a family emergency, and he's flying to Baghdad in the morning. I offered to look after Kayla and Jared for the next few days."

"You offered to take care of his kids?"

"Yes, and it might be fun, Tony. You and me would get to play house." She reasoned, and she got on her knees and wrapped her arms around Tony's neck. "And I know from experience that you like to play house." She said.

"Yes, I do."

"I know you are not exactly fond of children."

"Who said that?" he asked, cutting her off. She looked at him curiously.

"I thought you did not like children." She told him. "You were complaining when Vance asked us to watch after his kids."

"Look, children and I have a love-hate relationship. I would like to have kids some time." They both froze at his confession, realizing what he had just said. "Um, let's forget I said that." He told her, and she nodded.

"Okay." Ziva agreed, but she could not help the smile on her face. There was no way that statement would be leaving her memory any time soon.

"I'm just saying that I do want to help you with Kayla and Jared on one condition."

"Which is?"

"We share your room, and they share the other."

"Because every girl wants to share a room with her younger brother, Tony. I also have a pullout couch. We can work out who sleeps where when we pick them up tomorrow morning at nine."

"Okay." He said.

"Okay." She repeated.

Ziva woke up early the next morning. They had spent the night at Tony's apartment, and he still needed to pack a bag for things he would need to go to Ziva's. When Ziva woke up, she went to take a shower, thinking about what she would do with two kids for five days.

She wasn't too worried about the whole thing. She was actually pretty excited about it. She loved spending time with kids, especially because she wanted some of her own one day.

Ziva woke Tony up a half hour later. Surprisingly, it didn't take Tony much to get out of bed that morning, mainly because Ziva had already left, and Tony had a field day when he discovered that Ziva had packed his back for him.

"Hey, Ziva, I just remembered McGee was gonna swing by my apartment."

"He can come to mine." Ziva suggested.

"Do we really wanna discuss this around Kayla and Jared? I mean, I know they're kids, but they can pick stuff up, and if they tell their dad." He didn't continue the statement because she knew the rest.

"You are right. What did you have in mind?"

"I can meet talk to McGee for an hour or two here this afternoon after we get the kids settled at your place, then I can meet up with you guys after."

"It has not even been a day, and you are already trying to get out of this." Ziva teased.

"No, I'm not." He argued.

"Relax, Tony, I am only joking." Her eyes caught the clock. "We need to go!" she realized.

* * *

Kayla and Jared were excited when their dad told them they were spending the next few days with Ziva, which meant Tony would probably be around, too.

Their car pulled into the driveway a few minutes before nine. Ziva went up to the house to collect the kids, and when Tony saw Kayla, Jared, and Ziva walk back to the car, he only thought one thing.

_Let the challenge begin._

These next few days would test how well he could take care of kids, and he knew Ziva would be watching him, and he was really looking forward to her being all domestic. This was gonna be a fun round of house.

"So, guys, any requests for today?" Ziva asked them when they arrived at her apartment.

"Well, I like to play video games." Jared said. "Do you have any video games?" he asked.

"No. Sorry." Ziva replied.

"I also like to watch movies." Tony's ears perked up.

"Well, come on, Buddy, I have brought with me tons of movies from my apartment." Their voices drowned out behind Ziva. Jared would be fine with Tony, but she zeroed in on Kayla, who seemed very distant and upset. She walked towards Kayla.

"Kayla, do you have anything you want to do?" Ziva asked.

"Did you know my mom?" Kayla wondered.

"Yes, I did. She was a wonderful woman." Ziva answered.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure. We can go to my room." Ziva led the way to her bedroom, and they both sat on the edge of the bed. Ziva waited for Kayla to speak first.

"My dad told me your mom was killed, too." She said. Ziva nodded. "I loved my mom so much, and I told her everything. I still can't believe it's gone, and then Dad hired a nanny. He expects me to open up to a complete stranger who has no idea what it's like to go through this. It wasn't even like my mom died in a car accident, or anything like that. She was shot to death, and I don't know what to do. When Dad told me you know what it's like, I was hoping that you could help me a little bit." Kayla explained. She had started tearing up a bit, so Ziva opened her arm to the young girl, and began smoothing out her hair.

"I was fifteen when my mother was killed, and I found myself having similar thoughts, only my father acted like she had never existed. I began to despise him for that. Fathers are great. They try to be there for you, and younger siblings look up to you, but I know that sometimes a girl just needs her mom. I started to realize after my mother died that the things she used to say to me when I was younger helped me through challenges as I got older."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother used to tell me to forgive and forget. I remember how annoying that was as a child, but to this day, I can still hear her voice in the back of my head telling me to forgive and forget. Sometimes in the middle of the day I can hear her singing me a lullaby or telling me how fast I've grown up."

"Sometimes I think about when my mom would take me to the pond by the Lincoln Memorial all the time." Kayla recalled.

"Exactly! I know it is hard to have a nanny who does not know you, but your mother is always with you. You cannot forget about her, and trust me, those memories you have of her will influence the decisions you make later on, and I know that right now all you want is someone to talk to, someone to tell you that you are doing a great job, right?"

"Yeah." Kayla whispered.

"I know that you do not know me very well, but I care very much about you, Kayla. You, your brother, your father, and I adored your mother. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask me. Okay, Kayla?" she asked.

"Thank you, Ziva."

"Anytime."

"I like to bake." Kayla told her. "I usually bake cookies and cupcakes, anything really sweet. Sometimes I cook, but Jared always makes fun of my food."

"Most brothers do that. Mine used to taste whatever I made, and then he would spit it out in the trash can." They both started laughing. "I can run to the store and get some cookie dough, or…" Ziva began.

"Or?"

"We can make a complete mess of my kitchen, making cookies from scratch." Kayla smiled brightly and nodded. "Complete mess it is. Come on, sweetheart."

* * *

"These cookies are delicious." Tony said through bites of his cookie, and Jared just scarfed down a whole bunch, making sure they were thoroughly drowned in milk first, though. Kayla and Ziva smiled. "You two really did a good job." Tony leaned in and kissed Ziva's cheek, leaving chocolate residue on her skin.

"Tony." She groaned.

"What, it's just a little chocolate." He wiped it off. "See, it's gone." Jared started laughing at their interaction. Tony turned to him. "What's so funny? Huh?" he extended his arms and began tickling Jared, making him drop the cookie in his hand. Jared fought back, though. He tried pinching and biting Tony's arms, but Tony just threw the nine-year-old boy over his shoulder.

"Be careful!" Ziva called to them.

"Hey, Kayla, help me!" Jared exclaimed. Kayla joined in, and Tony had to fight off both of them. "Attack Tony! Attack Tony!" Ziva was a little concerned about the noise level, but all of them were enjoying themselves. Ziva decided to take advantage of the time, and she started cleaning up the counter and putting away the ingredients.

After her counter tops were spotless once again, she looked back at Tony and the kids. He claimed he didn't like kids too much. He said they were difficult to take care of, but seeing him with Kayla and Jared, she scoffed. She admired his way with kids.

* * *

"What movie do you guys want to watch tonight?" Tony asked as Ziva started washing Jared's chocolate covered shirt and Kayla's flour infested jeans. "We have "Skyfall", "National Treasure", and "Transformers"." He recited.

"Transformers." They said simultaneously.

"Transformers it is. Hey, Zi! Ziva!" he called.

"Yes?"

"You gonna watch this movie with us?" he wondered, and he and the kids looked over at Ziva with pleading eyes, all pleading for her to come join them. She consented and the kids made room for her on the couch. Tony and Ziva both sat on the end, with Kayla and Jared in the middle.

Tony hit play for the movie to start, and both of them looked at each other with a smile. _This isn't so hard. _They thought. Ziva placed her arm on the back of the couch, and Tony did the same. Somehow, in the middle of the movie, one of his hands found hers, and they held hands until the end of the movie, thinking about how easy and natural it was for them. Ziva couldn't help but think that Tony would make an excellent father, and she would love to be a mother, hopefully, to the same children.

His and hers.

Theirs.

* * *

**I loved writing this chapter! There should be some more domestic tiva, and it is so fun for me to write. I really hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. What would you like to see take place in this story? How do you like it so far? If you've read up to this point, you must have some thoughts, so please leave me a review, and the next chapter will be up tomorrow.**

**NCIStiva3 **


	17. Summer Games, Chapter 17

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 17**

Their time with Kayla and Jared for those few days was very special. Vance came to collect them right on time, July 10. Tony and Ziva couldn't believe how long it had actually been. They had only become a couple on May 14, directly after the three agents resigned from NCIS.

Before the kids got in the car, Vance pulled Ziva in for a hug.

"We found Gibbs. Pass it on." He whispered in her ear, and she smiled brightly, holding him even closer, like a hug Abby would give.

"You and the director seem to have gotten closer." Tony was able to say before Ziva practically launched herself at him. Tony was caught off guard for a second, but quickly slipped his arms around her waist. She didn't immediately let go. "What's this about?" he asked.

"They found Gibbs." She informed him, and he swept her off the ground, carrying her bridal style back into her apartment. She was laughing the entire way.

When they were informed of Gibbs's discovery, the relationship between Tony and Ziva definitely improved. There was no longer a weight above their head, holding them back from being completely happy. Of course, Gibbs, being how he is, elected to continue with his assignment, but they knew he was safe.

They couldn't talk to him. They couldn't see him, but he was safe, and that was all that mattered.

Tony was easily bored at his job. He enjoyed helping people, but he had several cases a day. He came home a bit exhausted, but to know that he was coming home to someone put a smile on his face the entire day. He had never felt like this before. Whether he went to his apartment or hers after work, all the stress and anxiety melted away as he breathed in the scent of her cooking mixed with her perfume, and he was met with the sweet voice which always asked him, "How was your day, Tony?"

"When I was with you for lunch, or when I was without you for work?" something along those lines was his general reply. This was usually met with a knowing glare before he walked over to her and kissed her, and the two of them had no idea when they fell into this routine, but it was very comforting and comfortable.

They spent most of the weekends with each other, but they also reached out to connect with the rest of their family, even if it was just Ziva's lunch with Abby or Tony's sports bar gathering with McGee and Palmer.

"You're the only single one here, McGee." Tony realized by his second beer during the gathering.

"Nope. Delilah and I are getting pretty serious."

The remainder of July went by like this, and they were alright with it. Tony and McGee still wanted to go back to NCIS, but Abby started noticing that Ziva wasn't as enthusiastic about it. She questioned her about it once, but Ziva quickly changed the subject. She was slipping into the role of a teacher quite well, and she enjoyed it, but she didn't voice how much she enjoyed it to Tony, who still hadn't even observed her teach, like he said he would.

* * *

**July 29, 2013**

Ziva changed the date on her board. The summer was coming closer and closer to a close, and she really didn't want to say goodbye to these kids just yet. She sighed as she finished looking at the date before walking back to her desk to sort out some papers.

Her students were set to arrive in five minutes, so she looked over her lesson plan for that day one more time. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. In her mind, she automatically assumed it was Tony, but it was actually her boss, Dr. Chandler.

She quickly got up to unlock the door.

"Dr. Chandler." She said.

"Miss David, how are you?"

"I am well, and you, sir?" Ziva inquired.

"Oh, fine, fine. Please, have a seat." Ziva took his offer, and they both sat down, facing each other.

"What is this about, Dr. Chandler?"

"Do you remember that the teacher who was supposed to be teaching this class had to take maternity leave?" he asked. Ziva nodded. "Well, she has completely quit her job to become a homemaker and take care of her child. This leaves an opening, and the test scores for this class are better than they have been in years, Miss David, which means you are a great teacher."

"Thank you." Ziva blushed slightly.

"The children love you, and you seem to get along with the rest of the staff. How would you like a permanent job as the special needs teacher?" he asked her.

Ziva was stunned. She loved this job so much, and she was still helping people in the military, like she had been with NCIS, but instead of bringing solace to victims' families, she was sending their children home with a smile.

"I would love to, but it is something I really have to discuss with my family. I will need some time to think it over." She told him.

"That's alright. I'll give you until the end of summer. If you refuse, we have other personnel on record that would be good for the job, but not as great as you. I understand you have no background in teaching or childcare, but you have the patience, understanding, and a natural affection for these kids every day. I'm impressed."

"Thank you."

"Remember, the end of summer." He said upon leaving.

"Yes, sir."

Ziva decided that she would tell Tony during their lunch date. She really did want the job, but she wasn't sure exactly how to break it to Tony. He still hadn't even seen her teach. He kept putting it off and making excuses.

Right before her lunch break, the children were working on a worksheet, so she was walking around the room, looking over people's shoulders. She had learned that not all the kids asked for help when they needed it. They just continued on incorrectly, and some didn't even continue on at all.

Ziva's phone vibrated somewhere in the middle of it. It was a text message from Tony.

**Hey, Zi, we have so many cases today, and I don't think I'll be able to make it to lunch without taking my work home with me, and we don't want that. See you tonight. I love you. Tony.**

She sighed. There went her plans for telling him about the job offer during lunch. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous about telling him. She was confident he would support any decision she made, but at the same time, she knew Tony thought of this as only temporary, and even then, he had a hard time wrapping himself around the idea.

That evening, Tony came home so exhausted.

"How was your day, Tony?" she asked him as he came inside to throw his suit jacket over the back of his chair.

"Tiring." he groaned.

"Do you want to talk about?" she wondered as she came to him with a bowl of lamb curry for him. He smiled at her.

"Triple homicide." he said, and Ziva nodded. "One adult and two children. Their throats were slit." Tony continued, and Ziva kissed his cheek. "The kids weren't even ten, Ziva. I had to notify their parents. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to lunch today." She brushed her fingers through his hair.

"Do not worry about it. We can have lunch tomorrow."

"How was your day?" he asked her after a few bites of curry.

"It was nice, not very eventful, but nice."

"Anything special happen today?"

"I found out that my class's test scores are higher than they have been in years." she said.

"That's because they have a great teacher. They're gonna miss you when the summer's over." he told her, and she led him to the bedroom to give him a nice massage because she could tell he was still very tense from work.

Ziva didn't bring herself to tell him about the job offer that day.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Or the next.

But everything changed the day after that one.

* * *

**I'm sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. I have it planned what I want to do with the rest of this story, so I got a little stuck on this one chapter. I know you might be a little disappointed that I didn't write a chapter for each day that Tony and Ziva were with Kayla and Jared, but I thought the final paragraphs in the last chapter summed it up pretty well. The significance was how domestic it is between Tony and and Ziva and the fact that they both wanted kids.**

**Because my story takes place over the entire summer, I can't write a chapter for every day, so I tried to think about how I could go from July 6 to July 29. I hope the transition wasn't too confusing. Please, leave me your thoughts below, and once again thank you for sticking with me this long. **

**Love you all!**

**NCIStiva3**


	18. Summer Games, Chapter 18

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 18**

"Good morning." Ziva kissed Tony.

"Hmm. Good morning." He returned, and he stretched his neck back to see the time written on the clock. "I don't wanna go to work." He said, and he pulled Ziva closer to him.

"You have to, Tony." She reminded him, stroking her finger along his cheek.

"Can't we play hooky?" he asked, and after he said it, he could feel Ziva's eyes looking at him strangely, trying to decipher what he meant. "Can we take a sick day?" Ziva shook her head. "Please." He begged.

"Tony, you have to get up and take a shower."

"But I really don't want to. Look, Ziva, it's still dark outside." He gestured his hands toward the curtains, and Ziva smiled.

"The curtains are closed, Tony."

"Why do I have to go to work there? I mean, I basically have to share my desk, and it's in a cramped office, anyways." Tony complained. Ziva lifted her head and gently nibbled his ear before swirling her tongue inside of it.

"I will make it worth your while if you get up." She offered, and he instantly perked up, sitting up in the bed.

"What do you have in mind, Miss David?" he asked her.

She smiled seductively at him. "You start the shower," she began. "and I join you in a minute." Tony got up and briskly walked to the shower. Ziva shook her head and laughed, but after making him wait a few minutes, she held up to her agreement and joined Tony in the shower.

* * *

Ned Dorneget was doing something entirely different at the moment. During sixty seconds of confusion, bullets ripping through the air, and files burning, he was able to handcuff the man he wanted to.

The man thought he could get away with it. He tried to burn all the evidence, but he panicked. He was caught, so he shot blindly at the NCIS agents coming after him.

Ned could hear the police sirens and the ambulance on its way, along with the fire truck. For a minute, he considered leaving the offender handcuffed to the metal pole to burn in the fire, or die of smoke inhalation.

Whichever would come first.

Ned had no idea where the rest of his team was, but as he felt the smoke suffocating his lungs, he realized there was something left he had to say. Tightening the handcuffs on the man's hand, he got his attention, and looked straight into his eyes without remorse, regret, or indecisiveness.

He felt like he could pass out from the fumes any second, and he heard the firemen breaking through the door. He opened up his throat to call to them, but he didn't have enough energy to call and say what he needed to say.

"Richard Parsons, you are under arrest for espionage, blackmailing, treason, attempted murder, and assaulting federal agents. Go to hell."

And the last thing he remembered was a man in yellow dragging him away from the fire.

* * *

"See you at lunch?" Tony asked her before he kissed her goodbye.

"Yes." She answered, and they both smiled at each other, their faces clearly displaying the love for each other. They simultaneously picked up their individual car keys from the coffee table, giving each other one last smile as they went their separate ways.

Ziva drove into the school parking lot when she felt her phone vibrate, and she didn't want to open the text when she noticed it was from Dr. Chandler. He had been telling her she had until the end of summer to make a decision about the job, but every day he kept pestering her about it. As she was walking into the school, she finally sighed and opened the message.

**Have you made a decision yet?**

She groaned and realized she was still chickening out of telling Tony about the job offer. He had every right to know. She wanted to tell him about the offer, but she didn't want to tell him about how much she wanted the job.

Ziva knew that Tony wanted their jobs at NCIS back, but they couldn't go back or else Gibbs would be arrested. With Parsons still being ruthless as ever, like a boa constrictor, squeezing the life out of them, Ziva didn't think it was very realistic that they would go back again. Gibbs was set to return back to Washington D.C. sometime in mid to late August, and without his team, Gibbs might even resign as well.

The whole situation was complicated, and Ziva preferred not to think about it, but soon enough Dr. Chandler's face was in her door.

"Have you made a decision yet?"

"I'm sorry, sir, not yet."

"Well, there's no rush. You have until the end of the summer."

"Thank you, Dr. Chandler. I promise I will make up my mind soon enough." She told him, and he nodded before exiting the classroom. Ziva walked up to the board, preparing to change the date to August 6 when her cell phone vibrated again.

She swore if it was Dr. Chandler, she would break the phone in half, but it was Tony. She instantly opened the message and was a little confused when she read it.

**I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!**

She found herself puzzled over what he would want to talk about. She replied. **We can talk at lunch.**

She almost immediately received a reply.

**No. We need to talk now. **

She was surprised at how demanding the text message seemed.

**Tony, my class is about to start. **

** I don't care!**

** What do you want me to do? Leave my class?**

** Yes!**

She groaned before calling him on her cell phone.

"Ziva?" he asked.

"Tony, what is this about?"

"Vance just called me." Tony told her, and she waited patiently for him to elaborate. "We need to talk about something, and not just us. You, me, McGee, and by the way, Gibbs is set to come back on the 16." Ziva smiled as she thought that Gibbs was really coming home, but something about Tony's voice scared her in a way. He didn't sound excited, but stern, and she only hoped he wasn't going to be stern with her for the rest of the day.

"Tony, my class is really about to start."

"Parsons was arrested. Dorneget's in the hospital. You need to come here with me. McGee and Abby are at the hospital. Apparently, they've already been briefed, but I need you here with me to talk to Vance. He wants us to be there in half an hour. I'm on my way to pick you up." He explained.

"Tony, I just can't leave!" Ziva exclaimed, and Tony could hear her frustration through the phone.

"Just tell your boss you need a day. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, Tony."

* * *

"My boss was not happy, Tony. It was a good thing there was a substitute on call." Ziva told him as he opened the car door for her.

"Well this is important. We need to find out exactly what happened with Parsons?"

"You said he was arrested, and that Ned is in the hospital?" Tony nodded.

"Dorneget arrested him. It turns out the special agent in charge, Craig Meyers, was killed during the shootout."

"There was a shootout?" Ziva gasped.

"Vance is gonna fill us in when we get there, but Parsons is finally out of the picture. The case against us has been dropped, Ziva! We can have our jobs back. We can be a team again. Vance is probably gonna give us our badges when we get there." He said excitedly.

"You did not sound this excited on the phone." She noticed.

"That's because the only thing on my mind was getting you to NCIS headquarters."

"I would like to visit Ned at the hospital." She said, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I want to go there right after we go to Vance. We can probably pick up something for him along the way. We should pay our respects to Meyers's family, too." Tony added.

"Oh, please don't tell me he had a family." She begged.

"A wife and three kids." He replied, and Ziva sighed. Tony took her hand. "I know it's not fair, Ziva. Death doesn't determine who's been good and who's been bad. Ned's lucky to be alive. Parsons is alive, too, but also in the hospital. His burns are severe, and he almost died of smoke inhalation."

"And Gibbs will be home soon?"

"Yes." He assured her. "Gibbs will be home soon."

"He's missed a lot." She said, gesturing to their intertwined hands, and Tony chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess he has."

* * *

"Please, take a seat." Vance asked of Tony and Ziva as they walked into his office and sat on the other side of his desk, the desk they had firmly placed their badges on a few months before then. "There is a lot I have to tell you. Do you have any questions? Anything you want me to explain first?"

"On what charged did you apprehend Parsons?" Ziva wondered.

"Well, were a little suspicious as to how he knew your whereabouts and your actions in Tel Aviv after your father's death. We tracked plane records, but he never left the country, so we assumed he was paying people to follow you, which we realized he was paying Iranian intelligence agents with U.S. Navy secrets, which meant we could arrest him for treason, and that right there is a lifetime sentence."

"That wasn't the only charge against him, was it?" Tony asked.

"No, DiNozzo, once we tracked down Parsons to take him in, we found him at an abandoned warehouse with several files and the paper trail he left that would connect him to any crimes. We got there a little too late. He had already started burning the place to hell when the agents came in. Parsons fired the first shot. Meyers was hit in the shoulder, the leg, the collar, and finally the neck, which was the fatal blow." He continued to explain.

"And Dorneget?" Ziva inquired.

"During the chaos, Dorneget was able to sneak back and cuff Parsons. By then, the smoke was suffocating them, and Parsons was being badly burned. Dorneget has a few burns, but nothing too bad. They just wanted to run some tests on his lungs."

"What does this mean now, Director Vance?" Tony questioned further.

"It means that upon Gibbs's return you can all have your jobs back, if you want them, that is." Vance looked between Tony and Ziva, and he saw how Ziva's face fell and she looked like she was going to be sick.

"Of course we want them." Tony said firmly, not even bothering to ask Ziva's opinion. Vance noticed how Tony made the decision for Ziva, but he figured that the two of them could just work it out. As Vance passed the both of them their badges back, Ziva pushed hers away. Tony looked at her confused. "Zi-" he began to say before she cut him off.

"I need some time to think about this." Ziva said, and Vance nodded. He immediately understood. Ziva stood up to shake the director's hand. "Thank you, Leon." She added before leaving the room. The only one who didn't understand what had just happened was Tony.

"Thank you." He said quietly before running after Ziva. He found her walking down the stairs and to the elevator. Tony caught up with her, and practically shoved her into the elevator. He allowed it to descend a floor of silence before flipping the emergency switch and looking at her suspiciously.

"What, Tony?" she asked.

"What the hell was that, Ziva?" he demanded.

"I am sorry, Tony. I just need some more time to think about this I cannot be forced to make a decision on the spot, and I apologize for that. Things have been a little confusing lately, and the only thing I am sure of is that I love you, Tony. Things are changing a lot, and I really just need some time. I'm sure I will have everything sorted out by the time Gibbs comes back, and I really need to talk to him about this, too. Okay?"

"Okay." He agreed, and Tony bent down a few inches to place a soft kiss to her temple. "Let's go see Dorneget now." Ziva nodded against his lips, and Tony flipped the switch again, allowing the elevator to move swiftly once again.

Ziva had wanted to get Dorneget some flowers, but Tony had argued that was too feminine. When Ziva had asked him if he had a better idea, Tony suggested a movie, and Ziva was not sure whether to slap him for suggesting it or herself for not realizing he would say it.

The two of them finally agreed on getting him some brunch from Taco Bell. They figured they couldn't go wrong with some good Mexican food.

But, unfortunately, when the two of them arrived at the hospital they were notified that Dorneget had already been discharged. Not knowing where he lived, they settled for driving back to Tony's apartment.

When they got back to Tony's apartment, Ziva decided she wanted to take a nice, long, hot shower and she clarified to Tony that she wanted to take it alone. Tony backed off a bit, figuring he was starting to smother Ziva again, and he needed to give her some space. She kissed him before leaving to go to the bathroom, though, which was a good sign. She left her cell phone on the coffee table beside her car keys, and when Tony was walking to get some water, her phone vibrated.

The phone was so close. He tried to resist the temptation, but it was too much. He just wanted to see who the message was from. He saw that it was from Dr. Chandler, so he figured it wasn't a big deal. Just when he was setting the phone down on the coffee table again, his finger slipped and he accidentally opened the text message, but Tony found himself questioning how much of it was accidental. He couldn't help that he liked to snoop. It was just something that he did. He had no control over it, but he really wish he did when he read the text.

**Miss David, we really need an answer soon about the job offer. I know I said you had until the end of summer, but I thought you would be able to decide by now.**

* * *

**How was that? Was it what you were expecting?**

**I want to think all of you for your continued support. It really means a lot to me. Last night, I found out that I had more than 200 reviews on this story! Thank you! That is just incredible. I really appreciate it!**

**I love you all!**

**NCIStiva3**


	19. Summer Games, Chapter 19

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 19**

**Miss David, we really need an answer soon about the job offer. I know I said you had until the end of summer, but I thought you would be able to decide by now.**

Tony looked over the words for a few minutes, trying to make sense of them. Finally, he decided that reading them out loud would probably help them form logical sentences. It didn't. It only caused more confusion.

_What job offer? _He thought. _And why didn't she tell me? She's obviously known about it for a long time. I need to confront her about it. But, wait, then she'll know I was snooping. She'll come to me. I trust her. Ziva will tell me. She'll probably tell me tonight. Yup. Tonight. _

Eventually his denial stopped when he heard the water turn off.

Ziva was having similar thoughts during her shower. It was such a big deal. It was a job offer, a job offer that she really wanted. She knew Tony dreamed of the two of them being partners again, but she always imagined herself as a teacher when she was a little girl, of course that was after ballerina and professional singer, but it was now an option for her.

And she was going to take it.

She just had to figure out how to tell Tony.

* * *

"What do you want for dinner?" Ziva asked him.

Tony had been observing her a little more closely, and he finally came to the conclusion that Ziva probably wasn't going to tell him that night. She had made no indications that she would which upset Tony a bit. He was starting to wonder how long she knew about the job offer. "Lasagna." He said.

"I am in the mood for chicken." She told him.

"But I thought you wanted lasagna."

"Until I saw that chicken was an option."

"But we're a couple, Ziva. We need to make these decisions together."

"Tony, it is just dinner." She chuckled.

"Yeah, just dinner." He agreed and eyed her suspiciously. "We can have lasagna some other night." He decided, and Ziva nodded as she thawed out the chicken.

"Is something wrong, Tony?"

"No." he quickly replied.

"You are lying." She stated matter-of-factly.

"I was just thinking about our meeting with Vance. You said that you'll decide how you feel about everything when Gibbs comes back, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, is there another option?" he carefully asked, being sure not to give too much

information away because of what he knew.

Ziva played it cool. She acted as if he had no idea what he was talking about. She did have a good poker face, just not with Tony. He knew all of her looks, laughs, and most of her moods. It was a good thing she was facing the counter as she cut up the chicken, rather than him, who would be able to tell she was lying in an instant. "No, of course not. Why would there be?"

Her answer broke Tony's heart. She was officially keeping it a secret from him, and lying to him in the process.

The chicken tasted delicious, but he was too busy thinking about other things to really compliment her on it. She noticed he was a bit distracted, so after dinner she walked over to him and kissed his forehead. "Are you alright, Tony?"

"Just a bit distracted." He sighed, and she nodded like she understood. "I'm going to go to bed." He told her, and she gave him one last kiss before letting go and watching him walk to the bedroom. She felt like he was suspicious about the job offer, like he was expecting her to say something about it to him.

_How could he possibly know? _She asked herself, and as she was washing the plates in the sink, she heard her phone vibrate against the coffee table. She turned the water off to walk over and see who texted her. It was Abby.

**Spa Day this Saturday? You and I deserve a break, and time to vent to each other. **

Ziva smiled. She replied to Abby, telling her she was looking forward to it. As she closed out of that text, she noticed that the one she received before it from Dr. Chandler had already been opened, and she didn't remember opening that specific one. Judging by the time she received it, she was probably in the shower, which meant the only other person who could have opened it was…

_Tony. _

He knew about the job offer. She panicked for a second inside. Her stomach was starting to ache, and she suddenly felt a bit nauseous as she tried to think of the best way to explain it to him. She set her cell phone back down on the table and began walking to the bedroom.

When she opened the door, Tony only looked up at her for a second, and his eyes weren't accompanied by the bright smile she had come to love so much. He was sitting up with his laptop in his lap. She didn't even care what website it was on. Most nights she would have asked, but she would have backed out from discussing this with him if there was anything to distract her.

"I thought you were tired." She said as she walked over to her side of the bed, preparing to get in it.

"I am." He replied a little too coldly and quickly for Ziva's liking.

Ziva took her hand and shut the computer screen with it, forcing Tony to look at her. Before he could say anything to complain or the fact that she had no right to turn off his computer, she spoke. "We need to talk."

He shrugged his shoulders. "About what?"

Ziva sighed.

"Earlier you asked me if there was any option other than NCIS, and I told you that there wasn't. I have been thinking about that a lot since you went to bed, and there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" he asked, and he perked up a bit upon knowing that Ziva was finally going to let him in the loop. He had a right to know what was going on. It concerned his girlfriend, for crying out loud, and this was a major decision.

"Well, the class that I have been teaching at Quantico, the principal, Dr. Chandler, offered me a regular job during the school year to teach the special needs class." She confessed, and Tony nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he asked.

"I did not know how you would react because I really love it at the school, Tony. The kids are so sweet and understanding, and apparently the test scores for my class are higher than they have been in years. The principal is really impressed, and do not misunderstand, Tony, I love NCIS."

"But?" he asked.

"But I won't know how I definitely feel about everything until Gibbs comes back, which is why I told you what I did today. I think I need a little of his guidance right now."

"So he can make the decision for you?" he asked, and Ziva's eyes widened. She couldn't believe he just said.

"No, that's your job, isn't it?" she returned.

He looked at her curiously. "What the hell are you talking about, Ziva?"

"Today, in Director Vance's office. You had no problem accepting for the both of us." She told him, and his eyes softened.

"Ziva, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I did that." He said sincerely.

"It is alright, Tony. I have already forgiven you for it anyways. I only said that because of what you said about Gibbs making my decisions for me, and it is not about Gibbs doing that by the way. I need to be reminded of what it is like for all of us to be united, working as a team again. Of course, I miss that, and I loved it when we were thing, but things change, Tony."

He scoffed.

"What?" Ziva demanded.

"I just thought this was gonna a temporary thing you started at the beginning of summer because it would be fun. You're supposed to quit when summer ends. It's not supposed to last."

"Like us, Tony? Something we started at the beginning of summer because it would be fun?" she spit his words right back in his face. "A cliché summer romance? Everything will go back to the way it was before all of this? We're just temporary, too?"

Tony was speechless. He had really upset her now. "No, Ziva, that's not what I meant." He tried to clarify, but Ziva wasn't going to let him off that easily.

"Then, what did you mean, Tony?" he didn't respond right away, and Ziva shook her head before tearing the covers off of her and getting out of bed.

"I am going to spend the night at my apartment." She said.

"Please tell me we're not taking another break." He practically begged.

"We are not, Tony, and we are not breaking up either unless that is what you want. I just need a night by myself to calm down. You get to decide if we're temporary or not. It's up to you. I know who I want, and I want you. I just need to leave for a night before you or I say something we'll regret later." Ziva explained and instead of leaving like he thought she would, Ziva walked over to his side of the bed and kissed his forehead again. "Tomorrow at lunch," she began when she reached the doorframe. "Don't tell me what you think I want to hear. Tell me what you want."

He nodded and listened intently as she left his apartment. He walked over to the window and searched for his car. He followed her car while she was driving away until he lost the sight, and then he promised himself that he would do anything to make sure he never truly lost her.

* * *

**For anyone who thinks I'm putting Tony and Ziva through a little too much, just please bear with me. Everything will be resolved very soon, and then it's smooth sailing for miles ahead. Also, I was wondering if you wanted references to McAbby in this. Majority wins!**

**NCIStiva3**


	20. Summer Games, Chapter 20

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 20**

Tony buried his face in his hands and started thinking about how stupid he was during that. He needed someone to talk to, and that person was currently thousands of miles away probably eating lunch, so after thinking about everything for hours and how he could fix it, he called someone who could probably help him just as well.

"McGee." He answered tiredly, wiping his eyes as he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hey, McGee." Tony said.

"Tony, is there any reason you're calling me at," he looked at the clock. "2 in the morning?"

"Wow. 2 already?"

McGee groaned. "What is it?" he practically whined. He turned on the lamp beside his bed, sitting up in his bed.

"Well, you see Ziva and I got into a fight." He began before McGee cut him off.

"Wait, wait, wait. Please don't tell me you called me in the middle of the night to settle a dispute between you two about the best sex position."

"Since when does your mind go straight to sex?" Tony asked shocked.

"Well, it is two in the morning, Tony. Do you guys stay up this late to discuss books?" McGee returned, and his eyes started drooping again, causing him to pick up the pace in the conversation. "So, what was the fight about?"

"She wants to be a teacher." He replied impassively.

"Ziva already is a teacher, Tony, at the school on the base. She teaches the kids with special needs."

"I know. I know that, but her boss, this Dr. Chandler guy, had the nerve to offer her a permanent job there throughout the year, teaching the special needs class." Tony explained, and McGee nodded.

"But she's coming back to NCIS with us, so what's the big deal?" McGee wondered.

"The big deal is she wants the job at the school!" he nearly exclaimed, and the poor man on the other line rubbed his temples. That volume was a few decibels too loud for him at the time of morning.

"Really?"

"Yes! She wants to be a teacher. She says she loved being an agent, but she really wants to be a teacher. I don't understand that. I mean, she doesn't want to work with us anymore. We're not gonna be the same team, Tim. She's leaving the team."

"Did she specifically tell you she wasn't coming back to NCIS when Gibbs gets back from Afghanistan?" he asked.

"No, she said she needed time to think about it. She wants to wait until Gibbs comes back to make the final decision, and she's angry with me for automatically assuming she was coming back to the agency, and I told Vance she was without asking her."

"You're not her husband, Tony, and even then, you have to ask her how she feels about the job."

"Well, Ziva didn't tell me about the job offer."

"Then, how did you find out?"

"She told me."

McGee sighed. "You're not making any sense, Tony."

"Ziva told me after I went through her text messages." Tony clarified, and he could hear McGee's groan through the phone.

"You went through her messages?" he demanded.

"Well, her phone was right on the coffee table, and the vibrating noise it made when she got the text was a little annoying, and she was in the shower, so I just picked it up." Tony defended himself.

"Obviously, you did more than pick it up!"

"I just _accidentally _opened the message, and then I _accidentally _read it."

"You have a problem with snooping, Tony. I can't believe you went through her messages. That's a total sign of distrust."

"Hey! I trust Ziva!" Tony insisted.

"You saw the message was from her boss, right?"

"Right."

"What, did you think the two of them were having some scandalous affair in the teacher's lounge before and after she would meet you for lunch?"

"No, I just-" Tony paused when he thought of an answer to say to McGee. He didn't know exactly why he looked on Ziva's phone. They were still discussing that, and Tony noticed they hadn't even gotten to the real fight between him and Ziva yet.

"You just want to know everything that's going on with her all the time."

Tony was about to disagree when he suddenly realized that McGee was right. He sighed, thinking about it, letting go of the phone in the process before bringing it back up to his ear. Tony could practically the smirk on McGee's face because the probie was right. "Is that so wrong?" he finally asked.

"I don't think it is, but Ziva might. You wanna be a part of her life, so you try to make yourself privy to all the other details in it, but you don't notice the important thing."

"What?"

"Even though you don't know every little detail about her life, you're the biggest part of it. Your big head takes up too much space."

Tony smiled. "I don't want her to leave NCIS. We need her on the team. She's my partner, in the field and off. Together all the time. It's supposed to be great."

"It sounds a little annoying to me."

"What?"

"You two would get tired of each other. Have you learned anything yet, Tony? You have to give yourselves room to breathe! You can't spend every waking moment together. You'll end up wanting to kill each other, and I don't really wanna have to drag Ziva away in handcuffs."

"Why do you assume Ziva would kill me?"

"Because you're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"You're holding on to her too tight. You're afraid of losing her, so you never wanna let her go, Tony, but keep this up, and you two will be tired of each other in a couple of months." McGee explained.

"I'll never get tired of her."

"You say that now,"

"No, I won't!" he cut him off.

McGee tried a different approach. "Let me ask you something, Tony." He said.

Tony listened and was willing to give it a shot. "Go for it, Probie."

"During the summer, you had your job, and she had yours. She got off work earlier than you did, so when you would walk through the door, no matter what apartment you were at, she made you some dinner and was smiling at you."

Tony painted the picture in his head. He loved everything about coming home from work. She made all the stress and anxiety worth it.

"She'd always ask you how your day was, right, and depending on the day you had, she always knew how to comfort you or keep you smiling."

"And then I'd ask her about her day." Tony added, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It was great, wasn't it? Almost like you wanted to have an eventful day, so you'd have something to tell her about when you got home?"

"Exactly."

"Now, how can you enjoy the feeling of telling each other about your day when you shared the exact same day? If you both come home tired or hungry or angry or revengeful or happy?" McGee asked, and he left some silence for Tony to think about what he was saying before he finally heard Tony's voice.

"You're right." Tony admitted, and even though McGee could have held it over his head, he didn't because Tony needed him right now. This was a serious conversation, something that didn't happen every day between the two of them.

"There is no doubt in this entire universe that Ziva loves you, and you love her. There's also no doubt that she loves her teaching job. Have you ever even seen her teach?"

That subject was coming up again. He knew he told her he wanted to see her in action at one point, but nothing was ever really discussed beyond that. They just met for lunch dates after she finished teaching that specific lesson, and the kids were eating their lunches in the cafeteria. Tony was thinking that maybe it was time to actually go through with it.

"I know you said she was waiting for Gibbs to come back," McGee continued, "but I think she's just waiting for you to come around."

"What do you mean?"

"Your opinion matters more to her than anybody else's. I mean, sure, ours matter, too, but yours matters the most. She needs your support in this, Tony. She wants you to be proud of her for this."

"I promised her I would support her when she came to be with the idea at the beginning of the summer, right before our fight where we went on our break."

"You mean, when you two broke up?" McGee asked.

"We were on a break!" Tony specified, and McGee laughed.

"Ross and Rachel were arguing about that for eight years on _Friends._"

"Well, it took us eight years to figure this out." Tony said.

"And you still haven't completely, but I think you know what you need to do from here, Tony. She talks about teaching a lot. She loves it, and think about what she's doing, Tony. There are kids in there who don't know how to tie their shoes. A lot of them are in wheelchairs. She has one kid who has to take the class not because of a mental disability, but because she's in and out of cancer treatments. She's still working for the navy, just their children. She's giving them confidence, and she's making them smile. Do you really want to stop that just because you have this aching desire to be with her as much as you can be?"

"Thanks, McGee." Tony replied. "I didn't really think of it like that."

"No problem, but here's a tip. Check the clock before you call me next time you have a relationship problem."

"There's not gonna be a next time."

"Yes, there will be, but you two can get through anything."

"So, how are you and Delilah going?" Tony asked, trying to keep up their conversation after a moment of silence, reflecting on what McGee had just said to him.

"Tony?"

"Yes."

"It is now past two. I have to get up at seven to start getting ready at work. So do you. This call was about your relationship. Can we talk about mine when the sun is out and normal people aren't in bed?" McGee asked.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." McGee sighed. "I'm glad I could help. I hope you call me about how you and Ziva worked everything out tomorrow when you go and see how great she is with the kids. All I'm expecting is your first-born son to be named after me. Now go to sleep."

"No promises about the first-born son thing, McRumplestiltskin. I kind of like the name Michael or Anthony or Zachary or Alexander."

"Tony."

"Timothy's never really been on the list of favorites. No offence."

"Can't you just let a joke go? I'm tired. I'm hungry, and I'm not being paid for my relationship advice. Besides, you know I have no problem with the middle name being Timothy. Michael Timothy DiNozzo. I think it has a good ring to it."

"Stop planning my future children, and go to bed. I'll buy you and Jimmy a beer at the bar sometime this week. That's all the payment you're getting. Good night, McGee."

"Good night, Tony."

Tony was finally able to get to sleep. He knew everything would be alright by lunchtime the following morning, and perfection would be reached when Gibbs came home.

* * *

**It has now been 20 chapters, and I am so proud of myself for sticking to the daily updates. I also want to thank all of you who have read up to this point. I really appreciate the response to this story, and I will not take it for granted. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, and if you go to my profile page, you will see how I am planning on turning this into a series. **

**Please stay tuned for Chapter 21, which will be up tomorrow morning, and please leave me a review. I always love reading those, and I'm sorry if I don't get back to you immediately when I read a review. Just know, that I read all of them, and I'm very thankful for each one. **

**Love you all!  
**

**NCIStiva3 **


	21. Summer Games, Chapter 21

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 21**

Even though Tony had only gotten about five and half hours asleep, he woke up with a certain energy that he couldn't quite identify. It caused a special spring in his step, and his coworkers definitely noticed a bounce about it when he got off the elevator, but the officers at the precinct chose not to question it.

Ziva had a night similar to Tony's, only instead of calling McGee, she called Abby.

"Hey, Ziva!" Abby answered.

"Hi, Abby."

"So, what's up? You sound a little down. Are you okay?" she asked.

"Tony and I just got into a little fight earlier. Don't worry, Abby. It is nothing major. Everything will be fine in a day or two. I just want to confirm our spa plans. Which spa and what time?"

"I think we should go to Seabright in the morning, and then get some lunch afterwards. Also, I was thinking, Gibbs is coming back on Friday night," she began.

"I have been meaning to talk to you about that, Abby. I wanted your help in organizing a special dinner that night with everyone."

"That's just what I was gonna ask! I wanted to know if you wanted to arrange a party or something, but a dinner just sounds great! Can we talk about it during lunch on Saturday, so we can organize everything and invite everyone! I'm so excited!"

"So am I."

"You're sure the fight between you and Tony is nothing, right?"

"It will be fine, Abby. I promise."

"You better. I'm not even gonna ask what it was about."

"Really?"

"I'm expecting you to tell me about it."

"Well, Abby, let me ask you, too. Would you be upset if I accepted a permanent job throughout the year at the school on base?" Ziva carefully asked.

Abby paused. "I wouldn't be upset, Ziva." She said. "I'd miss seeing you at work, but we can still have our spa days and weekend lunches, and maybe you could take a break from your boyfriend to have a girls' day sometime?"

"Of course, Abby."

Abby sighed of relief. "Then, I'm really happy for you, Ziva, and I can tell this is what you and Tony fought about. Trust me, by now, he would have talked to McGee, and McGee would give him some sense. He'll come around. Trust me."

"How are you and McGee?" Ziva asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It just seems like there is a little more tension ever since Delilah came into the picture, and she obviously makes McGee happy. We still have not met her yet. How are you feeling about that?"

"I feel fine, Ziva." Abby assured her. "There has been a little tension. I just want what's best for Tim, and we talked about it. He asked how I felt, and I told him. We had one thing years ago, and now we're, like, best friends. I'm not the relationship kind of girl like you are. Have I had some jealousy over the years? Yes! But I'm married to my work, and I love it more than anything. It's not fair to have any guy compete with science because they're never gonna win. It's my one true love, and I don't regret that. You have Tony, and I have Major Mass Spec, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world." Abby explained.

"Well, congratulations, Abby. I wish you and Major Mass Spec a lifetime of happiness." They both laughed. "Well, I will meet you at Seabright on Saturday. Have a good night. I will call you tomorrow to update you on my relationship status."

"You better! Good night, Ziva."

* * *

Tony too his lunch break a lot earlier than he usually did. His boss told him to be back in half an hour, but Tony completely ignored him because even if he got fired, he was already rehired back at NCIS.

Tony thought about getting Ziva some roses, but that was so overused, and roses didn't make everything all better. There was only one way to fix the damage he had done. He had no right to tell Ziva what she should do, and McGee helped him to see that. God knew he had a lot to apologize for, but he was finally going to see Ziva work.

He prepared his ID for the secretary to see, so he could get a visitor's badge and see Ziva.

"Mr. DiNozzo, you're here early." The secretary, Melissa Heartwright, noticed.

"Yeah, I know." He said as he handed her his badge.

"Miss David's class hasn't even been released to lunch yet. She's not on her lunch break."

"I know. I'm her guest today." He told her before slipping his ID back into his pocket and walking the familiar route to Ziva's classroom.

When he got there, the door was open along with the windows. Ziva always loved the fresh air and sunlight illuminating a room. He poked his head in and saw her crouching beside a student's desk.

She was wearing dark jeans and a gorgeous, light blue top. She was trying to explain to a young girl in a wheelchair whatever was on the board. Upon further examination, he noticed that the girl was also missing an arm, but then he observed her other hand touch Ziva's neck, and she gestured towards Ziva's necklace. Tony realized she was wearing the necklace that he had bought her.

"Pretty necklace." The girl said.

"Thank you." Ziva whispered before smiling and getting up from her current position. When Ziva stood up, he watched her tuck a strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Now that everyone has finished their thesis statements, who wants to read theirs out loud?" Ziva asked, and she saw a few hands shoot up in the air, but she zeroed in on a young boy in the back of the class, violently shaking his head. "Why don't you want to read yours, Ethan?" she asked lovingly.

"It's no good." He said angrily. Ethan had a lot of outbursts caused by bipolarity, but Ziva was always able to calm him down.

"Will you read it for me, so I can make that decision?" she asked.

"No one wants to read it!" he exclaimed.

"I do." She whispered. "Will you read it for me please?" her tone softened his eyes, and when she walked closer to Ethan, she fixed the collar of his school uniform and ran her hand in a soft pattern down his back. It immediately calmed him down. Ziva was still completely oblivious to the fact that Tony had been watching her that entire time.

"Margaret Fuller said, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader", which shows how beneficial a little free library would be for the community." He read. "Was that okay, Miss Ziva?" he asked.

"It was beautiful, Ethan, but can I tell you a secret?" she asked him.

He nodded.

"In fact, I will tell all of you a secret." Ziva said, gesturing to the class. "Raise your hand if you used a quote in your thesis statement?" she asked. Everyone in her class raised their hand. She nodded. "Well, the people you quoted live or lived in the same world as you. They lived on the same ground, and they were all children once. Do not see your world as others have said for you to do. Make your own observations. Write your own ideas. You do not need to quote a great person to show you are one, because each and every one of you is amazing." Ziva explained, and they all smiled at her. "Do you have your own ideas?" she asked enthusiastically.

The class nodded.

"Are they the same as others?"

The class shook their heads.

"Will you write them down for me in your own essays?"

The class nodded once again, and the students picked up their pencils to begin writing again.

Meanwhile, Tony was mesmerized. He still hadn't completely gotten over how she was able to calm Ethan down with only one touch. He supposed that she did just have a way with children. This was a completely different learning experience than the one he had as a child. He was bored out of his mind, but Ziva had all eyes on her. All the kids were smiling until they were frustrated because they got stuck, and when Ziva would make everything "better again", as one of the kids said, they'd smile even more brightly.

He couldn't help but smile, too, watching her work. She really would be a great mother, so he stood there, in the hallway, poking his head in, staring at her with a huge smile on his face, like some idiot.

"Any questions?" Ziva finally asked the class as she noticed they were about to be released for lunch.

One child's hand shot up. "Why is that man here?" she asked, pointing at Tony, and Ziva was about to ask what man when her eyes met his, and she realized he was watching her the whole time.

"Maybe he has a question, Jessica." Ziva suggested. "Come in." she said to Tony, and he reluctantly agreed. "Do you have a question, Mr. DiNozzo?" she asked him, and he shook his head, still smiling like an idiot.

"Well, who is ready for lunch? Go ahead. Have fun. I will see you soon." She called out as the class left for the cafeteria, leaving her and Tony in the classroom together.

"Hi." He finally said.

"_Do _you have a question, Tony?"

"I have quite a few actually, like why the hell didn't I come see you teach sooner? What kind of a jackass am I for not supporting you for even a second during this? How do I tell you that I had to wake McGee up at two in the morning because I couldn't sleep without you? Why didn't you tell me how good you are with these kids? I could go on for hours, but then again, I'm known for that." He began to ramble. "That's a pretty necklace." He finally decided to end his ramble with that.

Ziva looked down once more at the necklace she was wearing. "Thank you. Some guy gave it to me." She said, teasingly making it sound like the necklace was not very important to her.

Tony played along. "Some guy, huh? This guy mean anything to you?" he asked.

Ziva walked closer to him and bore her eyes into his They were both hypnotized before she spoke. "He means everything to me."

* * *

**Everything is good again between Tony and Ziva. Ziva is keeping the teaching job, and the summer is soon coming to a close, but this story is not. Chapter 22 will be up tomorrow. I might be able to post it in the early morning, but my family's leaving to go to this religious convention, so I might have to post it a little later than usual. Either way, it will be up. **

**Thank you all for the reviews, and have a good rest of your day!**

**NCIStiva3 **


	22. Summer Games, Chapter 22

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 22**

"Gibbs has said his door is always open. We could have the party there." Ziva suggested as she and Abby were receiving pedicures beside each other.

"True. That way we can surprise his when he gets home. Breena and Jimmy offered to host, but he called me this morning and said they were a little busy. Has he called you yet?" Abby asked.

"No, but he has probably called Tony by now. Why?"

"They got a call from the adoption agency. Some pregnant woman who wasn't considering adoption until her boyfriend left her found their files, and she fell in love with them!" Abby exclaimed. "They have to meet the mother, but it looks like the two of them are getting a baby! I'm so excited! I can't wait to be Aunt Abby."

"It will be nice for our little family to finally have a baby. Do you know how far along the woman is? When are we expecting the child?" Ziva wondered.

"Jimmy didn't say, but you know that baby isn't going to be the only one."

"Did Breena and Jimmy say they wanted to adopt another child?"

Abby looked at her with a smile. "I'm talking about you and Tony!" she clarified.

"Abby, wait. We haven't even discussed children, and please don't tell me your planning my wedding already." Ziva said as she leaned back in her chair.

"I just want to see what bridesmaid's dress will look good on me." Abby said defensively, and Ziva smiled.

"Don't, Abby." She playfully scolded.

"But Ziva…"

"Look for a maid of honor dress." Ziva corrected.

* * *

Ziva came in the door with her hands filled with groceries. Tony immediately jumped up from his couch to take a few. They set the bags on the counter, and Tony kissed Ziva quickly before the two of them proceeded in taking the groceries out of the bags.

"How was spa day with Abby?"

"Nice." Ziva said as she handed Tony the gallon of milk to put in the fridge. They couldn't help but notice how perfectly they worked together while accomplishing the task. "Did you know Breena and Jimmy are meeting with a woman who wants them to adopt her child?" she asked.

"I didn't know that. Good for them. That's great actually. Did Abby tell you that?"

"Yes. Jimmy called them this morning."

"They'll be back in time for Gibb's welcome home dinner, right?" he asked.

"Yes, they will be back in town on Wednesday. The dinner is Friday night."

"Yup cause Gibbs gets home Friday afternoon."

Ziva smiled at him. "I can't wait to see him." She said, and Tony set down the carton of eggs before kissing her forehead sweetly.

"Neither can I." he said before wrapping his arms around her, simply holding her in the middle of his kitchen with a bunch of groceries in front of them.

Ziva laughed.

"What?" he asked her.

"I am just thinking of the look on Gibbs's face when he finds out everything that happened this summer." She answered before looking up at him, and they both started laughing.

"You and Abby decide on a place for the dinner?" he wondered.

"Gibbs's." she simply answered.

"Okay. Hey, McGee was wondering if he could bring Delilah, so we all can meet her." Tony told her.

Ziva set the box of cereal down with a little frustration. "Tell McGee to call Abby on that one. I will not decide."

"Okay." Tony said with an amused grin on his face. Ziva really didn't want to be the cause of any tension at the dinner table.

When they were done, they were sitting beside each other on the couch watching a movie wrapped in each other's arms.

"I liked that one." Ziva said. "What was it called again?"

"My Sister's Keeper."

"It was great." Ziva reiterated before breaking from the embrace to close the curtains. She paused right before she was about to close them. "Tony, let's go on the roof." She said excitedly.

This caught him off guard. "The roof? Why?" he asked confused.

"There are so many stars out tonight. Come on. Can we watch the stars?" she asked him, and the only thing he could was smile at her, and then he extended his hand. She took it and began guiding him to the door like an excited little girl.

Since Tony and Ziva had started dating, they had seen different sides of each other, sides that would not have been appropriate while interrogating a suspect at work, but they loved every new thing they discovered about the other.

When they reached the roof, they found a small bench already on it. Ziva was a little cooler, so Tony wrapped his arms around her once again, and she basked in the warmth he gave off. Tony dropped a kiss to the top of her head, and he watched her as she gazed up at the stars.

They sat in silence for a moment until Tony finally spoke.

"Ziva, I've been thinking." He said.

"About?" she asked, breaking her gaze from the beautiful stars to look at Tony.

"Do you think that after Gibbs gets back and I go back to work at NCIS, you would wanna move in with me?" he asked her. Tony had been nervous about asking Ziva because there was always a chance of rejection, but it was a chance he would have to take.

Ziva didn't answer for a minute, which only added to Tony's anxiety. Ziva could feel him tense up a bit, and she smiled at his nervousness. She thought it was a bit endearing at times. "My apartment has more room." She informed him. "A better landlord." She added.

"You're right." He said with a smile.

"A bigger bed. More shelves for your movie collection. I can move my books to the guest room. Your lease is up at the end of the month. What do you say about that?" she asked him.

"I can get completely moved in to yours in about two weeks." He said, and she kissed him gently. When she pulled back, he noticed just how beautiful she looked under the dancing stars and the bright moonlight. "You are beautiful." He whispered before kissing her again, and he saw the slight shade of pink on her cheeks.

"We will be roommates soon." Ziva said happily.

"Yup. I gotta tell my landlady I'm moving out. She's gonna be pretty surprised considering I've been here for twelve years."

"Well, a little change is good." Ziva told him.

"Yes, it is."

* * *

**About the convention I have to go to with my family, I found out that there will not be any time to update for the next three days, so I will give you three new chapters right now to make up for it. These are also the three final chapters of Summer Games, and I will start posting chapters for the second book- Autumn Changes soon, so please be on the look out for that. **

**Thank you so much, and I hope there will be reviews waiting for me when I get back from the convention. **

**I love all of you!**

**NCIStiva3**


	23. Summer Games, Chapter 23

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 23**

"You look amazing." Tony said as Ziva came out of the bedroom, ready to go to the dinner at Gibbs's. She was only dressed up a little bit, in a blush pink summer dress with earrings to match, wearing the necklace that Tony had bought her.

"Thank you." She said from the door frame. "You don't look too bad yourself." Ziva added as she took time to look Tony up and down, taking in his short sleeve button down and khakis.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes, I am. Abby and I set everything up earlier. Gibbs has been at NCIS headquarters all day, and Leon said he would take Gibbs to the party. We have to pick Kayla and Jared up from his house, though."

"Okay. Is McGee bringing Delilah?" Tony wondered.

"No. She could not make it. She has a meeting at the Pentagon with the Secretary of Defense." Ziva explained, and Tony nodded in understanding.

He offered Ziva his hand, and she took it. "Well, let's go." He said.

Kayla and Jared were really excited when Tony and Ziva picked them up to go to the party, and when they got to the destination, the four of them couldn't stop smiling. Kayla and Jared were just happy to be at a party, but Tony and Ziva couldn't wait to see Gibbs again.

They met Abby and Ducky inside.

"You look absolutely radiant, My Dear." Ducky said with a smile as Ziva hugged him and kissed his cheek.

She smiled. "Thank you, Ducky."

Abby pulled her into the kitchen after Ducky released her. "You're glowing, Ziva. You're not pregnant, are you?" she whispered in Ziva's ear.

Ziva laughed before her expression turned serious. "You know what, Abby? I could be." She teased. "Tell Tony I am getting a pregnancy test from the drug store. Can you use my phone to record his reaction?"

Abby playfully punched Ziva's arm. "Don't tease me, Ziva."

"No, Abby, I am not pregnant."

McGee arrived a few minutes after, and Jimmy and Breena came about ten minutes later, their faces beaming.

"Did you talk to the mother? Are you getting the baby? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Abby immediately began bombarding the couple with questions. Breena laughed and looked to Jimmy, silently telling him to make the announcement.

"Yes, we are adopting the baby. The mother is about 23 weeks along, and she opted to find out the sex of the baby, so we know what it is. Do all of you want to know?" Jimmy asked everyone.

"Boy." Ziva whispered in Tony's ear.

"Girl." Tony returned. They both smiled at each other before turning their attention back to the expecting parents.

"Breena, do you want to tell everyone?" Jimmy asked his wife.

"We're having a girl!" she exclaimed excitedly. Everyone went up to offer their congratulations to the couple. "We've actually come up with a name. We've been thinking of one ever since we decided to adopt. Her name is Elizabeth Debony Palmer."

"That's so pretty!" Abby exclaimed.

When the excitement died down, Tony started helping Ziva get all the food out from the fridge. "Jimmy's getting himself a baby girl." he said.

"Yes." Ziva smiled.

"I'm happy for him. I wonder if little Liz is gonna be a daddy's girl."

"Now I thought that most men wanted sons." Ziva said with a confused expression on her face.

"Come on. A lot of guys want a little girl, too. It's nice to have a son, but to have a daughter first. That's just great." He elaborated.

Ziva stopped what she was doing and leaned back against the counter top. "Do you want a little girl, Tony?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I guess I do some day." He said, stuttering a little bit. This conversation was definitely starting to get a little uncomfortable for him, and then he mentally kicked himself for starting the conversation.

"And what would you name her?" Ziva wondered with a smile, testing the waters, noticing his uneasiness.

"I like the name Acelynn." He said with a sigh.

"Any particular reason why?"

"No, I just heard this lady at the store call to her daughter Acelynn, and I fell in love with that name. I think it was so many years ago when I heard it. I just love that name. What about you? You have any preferences?"

"No. As long as I have a baby girl, she can have whatever name in the world. Now, for a boy, I like the name Micah."

"Micah?" he repeated.

"Micah." She said.

"They're here!" Abby called from the living room, and Ziva ran to the window, and sure enough, there was Vance's car in the driveway, and Gibbs was getting out.

She strained her eyes trying to see how he looked from that window, even though she would see him in only a couple minutes. All the excitement and nervousness died when Gibbs walked through the door, and she controlled herself so she wouldn't propel herself into his arms and knock him over.

Abby was already doing enough of that.

The men offered handshakes, and she just stayed in the kitchen, making sure everything was perfect. She wanted it to be to his standards. She had this burning desire to make him proud of her, and she didn't know very well that he already was. The two of them weren't experts at communicating their feelings towards each other, so Ziva patiently waited her turn to give Gibbs a hug, a slight fear penetrating her that he didn't want to see her.

After all, it was her fault he was stuck in Afghanistan until they had enough dirt on Parsons to arrest him.

"Ziva," Tony said to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Gibbs is here."

"I know."

"He wants to see you."

That was enough for her feet to begin working again, and she followed him into the dining room where he was standing, waiting for her. She looked over him, making sure there were no visible wounds.

He was perfect.

She walked a little slower than usual to him, but all of her fears that he was angry with her were allayed when he took her into his arms, and hugged her tightly.

"I am sorry, Gibbs." She whispered in his ear.

"Rule #6, Ziva." He told her with a smile as he released her from his embrace, and all of them started to sit down for dinner.

"Gibbs, you have missed so much!" Abby exclaimed.

"Really?" he asked. "Like what?"

Jimmy spoke up first. "Breena and I are adopting a baby girl, named Elizabeth Debony. She'll be born in about 17 weeks."

"Congrats, Palmer." Gibbs said after a bite of steak. "Let's hope she has Breena's looks."

Tony and Ziva shared a look, silently wondering if they should tell Gibbs privately or at the dinner table. If they wouldn't share their relationship at the dinner table, Ziva had something else to say.

"I have taken a job as a teacher on the navy base for kids with special needs." She told Gibbs, and he was silent for a minute.

"I'm proud of you, Ziva." He finally said, and she smiled at him.

Tony continued. "And since we are no longer working together, that means there's no rule 12, which means," instead of finishing the sentence he grabbed Ziva's hands, and they intertwined their fingers. It caught Gibbs off guard only a little bit. He didn't think the two of them would actually have the guts to admit their feelings for each other.

"Since when?" Gibbs asked.

"Since we resigned." Ziva answered.

Gibbs chuckled. "Didn't take you two long." He noticed.

"So, we have your blessing?" Tony asked, unsure of the mood Gibbs was in.

"Well, yeah, DiNozzo, just don't screw up."

"Too late." Tony muttered, which erupted laughter from the table.

During the summer, even though Tony and Ziva had found each other, and they were incomparably happy, it seemed like something was missing, not something from their relationship, but from their family.

It wasn't missing anymore. That void was gone, and any pain she felt, any vengeance she sought, all the tears she cried didn't matter to her anymore. It seemed like she had forgotten all about it once Gibbs pulled her in for a hug.

Their family was reunited again, and nothing would take it apart.

Their family was also growing, as well.

* * *

**The family is back together. Breena and Jimmy are having a baby girl, and Tony and Ziva are talking about children. What do you think? This is the second to last chapter of Summer Games. I'm actually sad that this part is over, but I will continue on with the rest of the story. **

**Please leave me a review, and tell me what you thought about this chapter. I loved writing it, and I was thinking about Breena and Jimmy's baby for a while. I didn't know whether it should be a girl or a boy, but it is all vital to the story. **

**NCIStiva3**


	24. Summer Games, Chapter 24

**Part 1**

**Summer Games**

**Chapter 24**

Tony looked around the apartment. He had cluttered Ziva's space with his boxes filled with his personal items, but mainly his movies. The two of them had spent hours moving everything from his place to hers, and it had exhausted Ziva.

He had told her to lie down for a couple minutes, and she reluctantly agreed. When he went to check on her, she was sleeping deeply, and she looked so peaceful, so Tony, not wanting to disturb her, found himself a spot in between a couple of boxes on the couch. He sat there quietly for a minute, thinking about what he should do. Finally, Tony decided to call work.

"Hey, Janine."

"Tony?" she asked on the phone.

"Hey, I need to update my contact information." He told her, and Janine pulled up his file.

"Sure, I have it right here. Now, we have the apartment on record. Is there a new address I have to put in?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready."

Tony read her Ziva's address, and then he mentally corrected himself. _Their _address.

"Alright, it's in the system, but I'll need you to verify the change on Monday at work, so expect some paperwork on your desk."

"Okay. Have a good weekend, Janine."

"You, too."

Tony hung up the phone, and then he started unpacking the box next to him, to find that it was another box of movies. He started reading the titles to himself.

_People Like Us_

_An Unfinished Life_

_The Avengers_

_Nights in Rodanthe_

_How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days_

His gaze lingered on that movie, and all of a sudden, everything was coming back to him. His life had changed so quickly, and he sat there, holding the movie in his hand, reliving the past events of summer in his mind.

_He means everything to me. _

_When I was with you for lunch?_

_And I know from experience that you like to play house. _

_I would prefer the Jacuzzi. _

_Can I be your protector?_

_You smell like salt. _

_Some of the boys have already commented that I am very beautiful. _

_He has to be the most amazing man I have ever met, and I am in love with him._

_You're crazy in love with her, and you're just straight-up crazy without her._

_I love you. _

_And yet, you are still the jealous type. _

_Did I miss my own wedding?_

_Count to 20._

_My turn. What would you say if I told you I love you?_

_This isn't Paris, Tony. You'll get to hold me again tonight. _

_What would you do if I kissed you?_

_How about a little game? _

He stopped there. He thought about all of the stupid, childish games he had played, and that was all it was supposed to be- a stupid, childish game, and he looked at where he was, sitting on his couch in the apartment that he shared with his girlfriend, a woman he had loved for so long, and it brought a smile to his face to know that she would be lying next to him every night, as opposed to sitting across from him every morning.

He thought about this as he went to get some food for Ziva and himself, and when he arrived back at the apartment to find Ziva still sleeping contentedly, he gently kissed her forehead.

"Tony." She whispered when he started to walk away.

He smiled at her and placed the bag of food on the nightstand while she positioned herself to sit up.

"Hey, sleepyhead." He teased her, and she laughed. He handed her the food, and she sighed graciously to him.

"Thank you. I am starving."

He smiled because she had no idea how seriously he had been thinking. He knew he would never be able to voice how deeply he was in love with her, but he had the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to do the same.

At least, they were well aware that they loved each other.

"We need to start unpacking the boxes." She reminded him as she started to get out of the bed, but he held her back. "Tony, we need to."

"Let's take a break." He said softly.

"What do you have in mind, Tony? A movie?"

"How about a little game?"

_End of Part 1_

* * *

**Well, how did you like that as a closing chapter, at least for this part. I am sorry that it is shorter than all of my other chapters. I want to take the time in thanking all of you for being loyal to me and sticking with me while I figured this out. I love all the reviews you have sent me, and I appreciate the ones who have added this story to favorites, and started following me. **

**You all have motivated me and inspired me, and I feel so amazing because of the response to this story. **

**The first chapter of Part 2, entitled Autumn Changes, will be uploaded probably in a week or so. I need a little break to gather my thoughts. After that break, I plan to continue with the daily updates, and I hope you continue reading and check out Autumn Changes. **

**Thank you so much to everyone! I love you all! I can't believe Part 1 is finished, so goodbye, for now. **

**NCIStiva3**


	25. Autumn Changes, Chapter 1

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 1**

"Ziva, we're out of milk!" Tony called to her. He was a little frustrated because Ziva had made some cookies with Kayla, and he really wanted the cookies with some milk right now, but that was not the main reason for his distress. When Ziva came out to meet him by the fridge in her short, silk robe, Tony was reminded why he was upset.

"I can get dressed and go to the grocery store. We need to make sure we have some for when he arrives." She told him, and he groaned because Tony knew who 'he' was.

"You don't have to do this for him, Ziva. Really, he'll just mess up all the good work you're doing, whether it's intentional or unintentional. I can't believe he called, on my day off, right when you and me were, you know." Tony made a small gesture with his hands to represent what his mouth didn't say, and Ziva smiled.

"Yes, I know." She said. Ziva started moving back towards the bedroom to get clothes to go to the store, leaving Tony in the same spot she found him, not so silently working out the hand that had been dealt to him.

_To them. _He corrected himself. It is 'them' now, and he figures, there always has been a 'them'.

"He only comes for thanksgiving or Christmas." Tony tried to explain to her, shouting from his current spot in the kitchen. "Why would he come for Labor Day unless he wants some money?"

Ziva was not as concerned as Tony was. She was actually looking forward to seeing Senior again. It would be nice to be introduced to him as Tony's girlfriend, and she wouldn't be nervous at all. Senior had already made clear to Tony his opinions of Ziva. There was no point for her to try to win him over, to convince him that she was good enough for his son. She already had, and she wasn't even trying. Plus, she was amused by how disturbed Tony was with the situation. She was sure she could find a way to help him relieve some of that tension when she came back from the store.

"Maybe he wants to see you, Tony." She said as she exited the bedroom, fully dressed in a white tank top and dark capris, her hair up in a high ponytail, and her sandals giving her an extra couple inches in height.

Tony was a little too distracted by the news of his father's upcoming visit to appreciate Ziva's outfit. "Don't go getting crazy on me, David." He replied.

"You do not want to see him?" she asked, walking towards him to get her bag from the kitchen counter.

"I mean, he's my dad. I want to see him, but I'm just trying to figure out why he's coming."

"Well, you have three days to figure it out. In that time, I hope you work up the courage to call him and give him your new address, or else he will standing outside your old apartment, banging on the door for three hours, wondering why you are not answering, before he calls your cell and, once again, you do not answer because you and I are, you know." She explained, barely taking time to pause for a breath while speaking.

"I like that part."

"Which part?" Ziva asked, already knowing the answer.

"You know." Tony replied.

"I do." She said seductively. "Is there anything else you want me to pick up from the store?" she asked, walking towards the door like she was in a hurry to get out of the apartment.

"No, just the milk." He said, and he went after her, gently grabbing her arm to spin her towards him. Ziva looked at him curiously, unsure of what exactly his motives were. "One more thing," Tony began. He bent his head down a couple inches to Ziva's ear, which had been smothered with attention since she began dating Tony, "don't think I didn't notice your choice of wardrobe."

Ziva smiled.

"Very nice tank top. I haven't seen that recently. You want to borrow my gun to fight off the perverted, teenage cashiers?" he asked her, removing his hot breath from the inside of her ear, so he could look into her eyes one more time before she left.

"Why would I want to fight them off?" she teased, and on Tony's playful pout, she good-naturedly patted her boyfriend's muscular chest, which had actually become her first choice for a pillow. "I think I'll manage." She added, and it was not too much of a stretch for her toes, as it usually was, to press her lips to his when she wanted to surprise him with a kiss.

"Bye." He whispered against her lips.

"I will be back soon. In the meantime, I do hope you call your father and explain why I will be with you the entire visit because I know you have not told him about our relationship."

"I'll do my best."

With that, Ziva was out the door and she quickly threw her purse over her shoulder and scurried to her car. She took off the fake smile she had put on for Tony after she left the bedroom as she checked all of her mirrors. Ziva slammed the key into the ignition, and the car did not start fast enough for her.

There was something she needed to look at, alone. She tried to make sure that Tony could not sense her worry as she left the bedroom, fully clothed. She had been completely fine until she started getting dressed, and most of her car ride to the almost abandoned parking lot of a motel was spent with Ziva silently telling herself that nothing was wrong, and silently not believing her own thoughts.

Whichever path Ziva would choose, to worry or not to worry, both parts of her mind agreed on one sole thing: not to tell Tony about it.

Tony was a little suspicious about Ziva's behavior. She smiled at him, of course, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes.

Her beautiful eyes, which staring lovingly into them, led straight to her heart, and he had learned, spending so much time with her, that whenever her heart would speed up because of the emotions his stares could stir in her body, the ends of her hair would curl ever so slightly, reverting back to their natural state, as Ziva's love for Tony was just that.

Completely natural.

When he was whispering to her before she left, there was no shudder that he took great pride in. The kiss she left him with weighed on his mind as the scent of her perfume lingered by the door. That kiss had seemed almost like a distraction, something to assure him that everything was fine.

They had kissed so often, so regularly, passionately, sweetly, intimately, that he could tell each kiss as if they each had their own identity, their own strand of DNA that made it different from the others, and that one tasted a little bit like worry.

"What are you worried about Ziva?" he whispered, not even realizing that he had spoken out loud. Now, there was no way he could have the energy to call his father when his whole mind was focused on Ziva.

Ziva's worry had decreased since she left the motel parking lot. Nothing had happened to alarm her, nothing to lead her to believe what she was originally thinking had been the cause. After she examined the situation, she calmed down a bit, laughing at herself because she was worried over nothing. Ziva calmed down a bit and went to the store to pick up a gallon of milk.

Ziva decided that she would check again the following morning, and all the anxiety melted away with the little drops left on worry when she hooked up her phone to her car speak, to start playing music.

She smiled when she looked at her phone wallpaper. It was a picture of her and Tony when they went away to Virginia Beach, and she smiled even wider when she remembered that the same picture was Tony's wallpaper.

"Did you call your father?" she immediately asked when she entered the apartment.

Tony was a little caught off guard when she came in, and after starting at her like a deer in headlights for a minute, he was able to register what the question was. "Uh, no, I didn't get a chance to." He said, getting off the couch and closing the magazine he was reading. He watched Ziva as she placed the milk in the fridge and disposed of the bag.

"Is everything alright, Tony?" she asked, turning around to look at him, pressing her back into the countertop.

"I'm fine." He said, shrugging it off, sensing there was something Ziva wasn't telling him. "How about you, Ziva? You seemed a little jumpy earlier."

"I was just a little nervous about your father's upcoming visit." She began. "He seems to care for me, but I wonder if that will change when he finds out that you and I are a couple now."  
she instinctively added, feeding to the flame, the lie that she started.

Her answer satisfied, Tony, and he walked over to her, giving her a bear hug in the process. "He'll love you even more than he already does." Tony assured her.

"I hope so. Will he be staying here, with us?" she wondered.

"With my luck, he probably will." Tony said, erupting genuine laughter from Ziva, which led him to think that everything was truly alright, but he did notice that Ziva took a little longer than usual while slipping into her pajamas behind the bathroom door, but he didn't think anything of it.

* * *

**It turns out that I couldn't stay away from this for too long. I wanted to take a break to focus on other things, but all I could think about was how I was going to do the first chapter of the second installment. **

**Any ideas on what the thing Ziva is hiding can be? My gut tells me it's not what you think it is, and are you excited for Senior's visit? **

**Thank you so much for your response and reviews to Summer Games! Please leave me a review, and tell me what your initial reactions are about Autumn Changes. **

**Love you all!**

**NCIStiva3**


	26. Autumn Changes, Chapter 2

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 2**

"Did you call your father?" Ziva asked him the next morning, a smile playing on her lips because she knew he most likely did not.

"Actually, I gave him the new address, and I told him I moved in with my girlfriend." Tony replied.

"Did you tell him the name of your girlfriend?"

"It'll be a fun surprise."

"Was he happy for you, Tony?" she wondered, and Tony gestured for her to sit with him on the couch. Ziva folded into the warmth and comfort of his body, and she actually purred when he ran his fingertips up and down her arms.

"Oh, yeah, and he'll be even happier when he finds out you're the mystery girlfriend. Are you still nervous?" he asked her, and Ziva felt a momentary shock of guilt surge through her spine as he referred to her lie the day before.

"No. You convinced me."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good because you had nothing to worry about in the first place."

"Has he said anything to make you suspect he has ulterior motives?" Ziva teased, and Tony shook his head.

"He seems genuine." He sighed.

"What do you think your father would like to eat for dinner?" she wondered, and Tony paused his fingertips on her forearms, breaking Ziva's relaxation a bit.

"You don't have to cook for him, you know." He told her.

"I know, but I want to."

"Why?" he practically exclaimed.

"I want to cook a nice dinner for the three of us, Tony. Now, what does your father like to eat?" Ziva repeated.

"Why would you cook him dinner?"

"I like to cook, and I want to welcome him."

"But if he's broke, then he'll want to stay here. You can't welcome him too much, Ziva." He explained to her, and Ziva shook her head against him.

"Please." She said, turning her head so he could see her face.

He knew what she was doing. It worked like a charm on him. Years of using torture and seduction in Mossad taught her a thing or two. She knew how to get what she wanted from him, and it was the sweetest kind of torture Tony could imagine. He lived for it. He basked in it, and his mind kept telling him to look away because he was a sucker for her big, brown eyes, but his heart kept staring, hypnotized by this beautiful, vulnerable look that she only shared with him. "He likes lasagna." Tony muttered, sourly accepting defeat.

Ziva's face lit up, and her eyes sparkled. She kissed Tony twice. "Thank you." She said, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck.

"Whatever." He replied.

"We have to get ready for work." Ziva reminded him.

Tony groaned. "What day is it?" he asked.

"Tuesday, the day after labor day." Ziva simply stated.

"Only Tuesday?" Tony whined, and Ziva smiled.

"Come on, Tony." She got off of him, and they both instantly missed the feeling of each other pressed against them. When Ziva left the couch, it was motivation enough to get up.

"You going for a run today?" tony wondered.

Ziva had not thought about it. She looked at the time and contemplated it. A run would probably be good for her, and she had time for one. She had to be at the school by 8:15, and it was 6:07 at that moment. "Sure." She said, and she went into the bedroom to get her gym clothes out of her drawer.

In the process, she pulled out one of Tony's suits from their closet and she set it on the bed for him because she knew he always felt a little lazy whenever they spent the beginning of the morning cuddling.

Ziva took her clothes with her to the bathroom. She took off the clothes she was already wearing, and she was almost terrified to look in the mirror while doing it, but she knew it had to be done. When she took off her shirt, she nearly pressed her bare breasts in the mirror, examining them. She noticed one thing.

It was getting worse.

Now, she had to do everything she could to avoid having sex with Tony because it was really noticeable. There was blood caked around both nipples, and her breasts were starting to lose their color, as if the circulation was being cut off. She had looked at a few breast cancer websites, and both of her symptoms were on the website.

They both said she should seek immediate medical attention to get a mammogram taken, but her usual stubbornness was taking over. She had only seen the blood for two days now. The discoloration was new. If her condition continued to worsen, then she decided she would schedule an appointment just to see if she had breast cancer.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Tony knocked harshly on the door. "Ziva, did you fall in?" he asked her.

"No, I'll be out in a minute." She said.

"Okay." She put on her freshly washed sports bra and prayed that was all the blood that would be discharged for the day. She slipped a tank top over her bra because it was still pretty warm and humid outside. She slid on her shorts and sneakers, put her hair in a ponytail, and walked out the door, giving Tony a kiss before she left.

"Be safe." Tony called to her, but he wasn't sure if she heard him. She did, but she didn't reply. After she ran a mile, she sat on an old bench and took out her phone, connecting to the internet to privately look at the websites again.

There she learned that people whose relatives were diagnosed with breast cancer have greater risk of getting in than those who don't. She sighed and thought of her Aunt Nettie. She knew Nettie had been diagnosed with cancer at some point, but she couldn't remember which one, so she made the phone call to Nettie's daughter, Rebecca.

"Ziva?" Rebecca asked when she answered the phone. Rebecca was a little surprised when she saw Ziva's name on the caller ID.

"Rebecca, how have you been?" Ziva began, thinking about how to get her answer without worrying Rebecca.

"Honestly, not so well. Your visit was great earlier this year, but I wish it had been under happier circumstances." Rebecca answered, and Ziva agreed, remembering to how fragile and helpless she felt during the time of her father's funeral. "Since then, I have been diagnose with stage IIa breast cancer. I've decided to just get the mastectomy. It is so much easier than all the cancer treatments."

That was confirmation enough.

"Is the mastectomy where they remove a breast?" Ziva asked, stuttering a little as she thought about it.

"Yes. I only have to have one surgically removed. If you remember, my mother had the same cancer, and I am sure yours would have been diagnosed later in life if she had not been killed beforehand. It's a terrible epidemic. Hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed every year." Rebecca said.

"I know." Ziva sighed.

"But the women in our family are fighters. We are stubborn, and even though more of us are being diagnosed, none of us have fallen yet. I hope you never have to go through this, Ziva, but my husband has been with me all the way."

"I hope I do not either. How are the children taking it?" she inquired.

"Better than I expected." Rebecca answered. "How have you been, Ziva? Was there any particular reason for this call? Is there anything you need?"

"No, Becca, I am fine. I just wanted to check in and see how you were. Is there anything I can do for you, though? Do you need any money for the operation?"

"Ziva, do not even think for a moment about giving me the money you inherited from your father." Rebecca said firmly.

"But I inherited so much, Rebecca, more than I could need in a lifetime. If you need some, do not hesitate to ask, alright?"

"Alright. You have always been so kind."  
"Thank you. I am sorry this call was brief."

"It is better than not hearing from you at all." Rebecca reminded her.

"You will win this fight, Rebecca. You always win, but I must go now. I have to get

ready for work. It is morning here."

"Thank you, Ziva. I will hopefully hear from you soon."

"You will. Give the family my love."

"Of course." Rebecca told her before hanging up the phone.

Ziva did not exit out of her phone. She held it against her chest, clutched like a precious gem in both hands, still in an initial state of shock. She didn't want to believe it. She did not want to jump to any conclusions, but it seemed like she had no choice.

"I have breast cancer." Ziva whispered to herself. She couldn't run from it anymore, and when she finally accepted it, when she finally let the disease plague her mind as well, Ziva let go of her phone and buried her face in her hands.

She cursed everything. It had all been going great with Tony. She was sincerely happy, and then she figured that was the root of it.

There always had to be something wrong! Her true family was fine. Her biological family no longer had a problem with her. She was in love with Tony, and he loved her back. That was the best part of all of it. The two of them were so happy together, and now she had to tell him that she most likely has breast cancer, and that will be confirmed with one doctor's visit.

Tears were running freely down her face, and as she started running back to the apartment, she realized no one can outrun cancer, but her spirits were lifted when she remembered that she played by her own rules, on her own terms.

* * *

**I am sorry if the first chapter seemed a little confusing, but hopefully this will clear a few things up. Here is the second chapter of the second installment. Thank you so much for your sweet reviews! I hope to receive some more. **

**NCIStiva3**


	27. Autumn Changes, Chapter 3

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 3**

"Junior!" Senior exclaimed when Tony opened the door to the apartment. Senior opened up his arms to his son, and Tony embraced him, waiting for Ziva to emerge from the bedroom where he had left her.

"Hi, Dad." Tony said as he closed the door and invited him to sit down at the couch. Senior took his look around the living room first, noticing some accents of it, which could only be explained by a woman's touch.

"You know, Junior, I have to say I was more than a little surprised when you told me you were living with your new girlfriend."

"I still can't believe how far we've come in a few months."

"Is she here now?"

"Yup. She'll be out in a minute."

"I can't wait to meet her." Senior said as he folded his hands together, and Tony had to suppress a smile. He wanted to be able to record the look on his father's face when he realized his girlfriend was Ziva.

Of course, there was still the awkward start a few years before where Senior had planned to make a move on her, which still plagued his mind, but he was almost completely sure his father already thought of Ziva more as a daughter than a possible lover.

"So, um, Dad, you still haven't told me what warranted your visit, not that I'm not happy you're here, because it's great…" Tony began, but his words were not-so-annoyingly cut off by Ziva entering the living room.

"Ziva!" Senior exclaimed, jumping up to hug her. Ziva accepted the hug with a smile on her face, and none of it was a façade. She was truly happy that they would be able to spend some time together, even if the visit was mainly about money.

"Tony, it's always a pleasure, and I am so glad that you were able to come and stay with us." Ziva said sweetly.

"Us?" Senior repeated.

That was Tony's cue, and he left his current spot on the couch to wrap an arm around Ziva's shoulders and place a tender kiss to her temple. "Us." He said.

"The two of you? A couple?" he asked.

Tony and Ziva nodded.

"Finally." He responded, and they all shared a laugh at that before Senior, making himself at home, invited his hosts to sit at the couch with him. "And, Junior, you said this has been going on for a few months."

"Since May." Tony said, and even though he knew the exact day was May 14, he didn't want to come across as 'whipped' to his father. He would save the day for Ziva to know because he knew she kept track as well.

"Wow. I'm happy for you two. I have to say, Junior, you could never have chosen better than Ziva."

Tony looked to Ziva, and the slight color to her cheeks did not go unnoticed. He smiled at her. "You're right, Dad. It's impossible."

* * *

The three of them decided to eat dinner at the apartment, so Ziva cooked lasagna, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli. They sat down at the kitchen table together, and Tony tried to remember the last time he and his father ate a home-cooked meal together. He drew a blank. He had a feeling having Ziva there would help create some good memories between them.

"Ziva, this is delicious." Senior said at the start.

"Thank you." She replied modestly.

"And I love this place."

"It is a change from Tony's old apartment, isn't it?" she asked, taking a sip of red wine.

"Without question. So, how's this going with Gibbs? Didn't he have some rule against this? I just can't imagine him being someone to look the other way with something like this."

"Well, Dad, Ziva doesn't work with me anymore." Tony began to explain.

"Oh?"

"I still work for the navy, but now I teach children with special needs. It is still on the base, so Tony comes to visit me during our lunch break every day."

"Congratulations, Ziva, I'm sure you're a wonderful teacher." He applauded.

"She really is, Dad. She's great with the kids."

"Now, Junior, are you still with NCIS?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I worked with Metro PD this summer because Gibbs was away, but now I'm back with the team, and everything's just great."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"And how have you been, Tony?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, what's new, Dad?"

Senior put his fork of food back down on his plate and smiled. "Well, I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you." Tony and Ziva waited for him to continue. "It's no secret that I've been struggling financially these past few years."

_He needs to borrow money. I knew it. _Tony thought.

"You see, I took a gamble. I took all my savings, my retirement fund, basically every penny I have, and I invested it in this new playwright, with a play that deserves to be on Broadway." He explained.

"Really, Dad?"

"Well, I was worried about it for a while, but I got the news that everything was a success! Everyone loved the play just as much as I did, and I made millions in the process when people kept coming to see it the opening weekend! I wanted to tell you in person the good news, Junior. We're alright again. I bounced back, and I'm promising to never take that kind of chance again. My gambling days are over. I was just going for one last score, and I won!" he boasted proudly.

"Congratulations." Ziva said.

"Wow." Tony was able to muster.

"I know that it's something I could have told you on the phone, but I wanted an excuse to come and visit you." Senior said.

Tony sighed. "Dad, who says that you can only visit for thanksgiving and/or Christmas? You're my father. You don't need an excuse to be with us."

"We love having you here." Ziva added.

"Thanks, kids. That's good to know."

When they finished dinner, the two DiNozzos insisted on clearing the table and doing the dishes, which Ziva greatly appreciated while she set up the bedroom for Senior. Ziva also had some papers to grade for her class tomorrow, so she tucked herself into bed, sitting up to grade them.

Tony joined her soon after. Ziva looked up when he came in and offered him a smile before looking back down at the papers. Tony returned the smile and sat on the edge of his side of the bed to take his pants off.

"My dad's real excited." He said.

"He should be. I am very happy for him, and he has professed quite frequently how happy he is for us."

"He just couldn't compliment you enough." Tony teased.

She rolled her eyes as she scanned through the quizzes, her pen pausing to make marks. "I appreciate his compliments."

"Hey, I compliment you."

"I know you do, Tony." She said.

"And I mean everything I tell you. I mean it when I say the food's delicious, or you look beautiful, which is every day."

Ziva rolled her eyes again as he rambled on. "Tony," she finally said. "I know."

"Just making sure." He said before kissing her, and before she knew it, the kiss had deepened, and when Tony started to push her strap off her shoulder, Ziva knew she needed to end it there. She pushed back.

"Not tonight, Tony." She said. "Your father is in the next room, and I really need to grade these papers."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Trust me, Tony, I want it, too."

He kissed her one last time, and they both savored it before he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, leaving Ziva to grade the papers. She sighed because she had had such a wonderful day. She had almost forgotten the huge weight hanging above her head. She couldn't stay in denial any longer. She needed help, and Tony came first.

* * *

**I want to think all of you for your support during that time. I took every word you wrote me to heart, and I sincerely appreciate everything you've done. I'm finally out of mourning and sobbing, and some of you have reminded me to loo to writing.**

**I've always taken refuge in writing, and now that I'm not a complete mess, I think it's time to get back to working on the story. Writing this has helped bring solace, and I always love hearing what you all think.**

**I can't promise daily updates because I hate to break promises, so I will be updating when I can, which hopefully will be daily.**

**I love you all! Words cannot describe how all of your reviews and private messages make me feel, and I missed you. Thank you again and again. I needed that to help me get through this and motivate me to keep going.**

**NCIStiva3**


	28. Autumn Changes, Chapter 4

**Part 2 **

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 4**

Senior's visit lasted three days, and he ended it with plans to be back for Christmas. Since then, Ziva's condition had worsened, so when she arrived home from work, she knew what she needed to do.

Tony always came home a couple hours after Ziva did, so she slammed her purse on the counter and started searching for the card with her doctor's number. She sighed in relief when she finally found it. She took her cell phone out of her purse as well, and when she felt the object in her hand, she froze.

_I need to do this. _She told herself. She had to get over herself, push her pride aside, and understand that she couldn't control this. There was nothing she could do. The only thing she could control was getting help, and with that thought, she dialed the number.

"Dr. Marilyn Wood's office. How may I help you?" the secretary answered. Ziva paused. "Hello?"

"Hi, yes, um, I would like to, um, set up an appointment with Dr. Wood." Ziva said.

"Name?"

"Dr. Wood."

"Your name, Hon."

"Ziva David. D-A-V-I-D." she answered, embarrassed that she didn't understand it at first.

"I had a cancellation. How does Wednesday the 11th at 3:55 sound to you?"

"Perfect."

"Okay. We'll see you then."

"Thank you."

She had two days to tell Tony about her suspicions. Knowing herself, she would probably put it off until that last minute, but she didn't want to put any strain on their relationship because the possibility of breast cancer would be enough to rain on their parade. She didn't want to worry him, but she kept thinking that if the roles were reversed, she would want to know if Tony thought he was sick. She would also press him for the doctor's appointment.

Ever since Gibbs came home from Baghdad, everything was so simple and easy. Things were just falling perfectly into place. Commitment wasn't something to be afraid of. In a few months, the family would welcome Baby Elizabeth, and then she started thinking that if she didn't take this seriously, if her stubbornness won, if her pride took priority, she might never be able to meet Baby Elizabeth, let alone make a few babies of her own.

She had something to fight for, and she had a family to support her all the way. There was nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. No one would leave her because she had cancer, especially not Tony, and it wasn't fair to him that she was leaving him out of the loop.

"Hey, my little snicker doodle!" Tony called when he came through the door, obviously in a good mood, which brought a smile to Ziva's face.

"Snicker doodle, huh?" she asked.

"It just came to me." He said as he took off his suit jacket.

"I can tell."

"You should be flattered because snicker doodles are all warm and delicious and sugary, so they give you this sugar high. Of course, you just make me feel high when I walk through the door."

"First, Tony, how do you know what it's like to be high? Second, can you get any cheesier?" she asked as the kettle on the stove went off, signaling the water was ready to make some tea.

"There's more where that came from." He promised, and she playfully groaned.

"Do you want any tea?" Ziva asked him while she poured a glass of jasmine tea for herself.

"Do we have any sugar?"

"Of course." She said, retrieving it from the cabinet.

"Honey chamomile, please."

"Honey chamomile?" she repeated, giving him a hard time because she knew it was his favorite tea. She liked spice, and he liked sugar. It was something else that they had opposing opinions about, but everyone knows that saying. Opposites attract.

"You tell McGee, and I will be forced to kill him." He threatened.

"I know." She said, handing him the mug, "I guess that is why I have to tell Gibbs."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Tony said, walking back to where he had left his bag from work. "Breena gave these to Jimmy to give to me to give to you. They're some catalogs that she wasn't really interested in. She thought you might like them." He handed her the catalogs, and she noticed that they were all home improvement catalogs.

"That was nice of her." She said.

"Yeah, you think you'll order anything from there?" he wondered.

"I do not know, but I think we should personalize this apartment a little bit more. I mean, it is our apartment, Tony. There is a lot I want to do, but I never really got around to doing it." She tried to explain.

"Apartment, being the key word, Ziva." Tony said.

"What do you mean?"

"We're renting an apartment. It's not really ours. I don't think there's such a big point in personalizing this place if we could be leaving it sometime soon, and then, you know, we have to start all over again, and nobody really wants to do that."

"Where would we be going, Tony?" she inquired, curious as to what he was thinking about.

"Just someplace else, Ziva. Maybe we'll find an apartment that has cheaper rent than this one, or the building gets evicted, or we decide to buy a house."

_There it is. _Ziva thought.

"Do you want to buy a house?" Ziva asked him, and her question didn't really take him by surprise. After all, he was the one who threw the suggestion out in the open. He didn't mind it at all. He would actually prefer it, but he didn't want to scare her off or suffocate her because evidently, he had a history in that area, and they had only been together for four months.

"I'm just saying that it's an option. We have to be prepared."

"That is not what I asked, and you know it, Tony. You are the one who said it, so don't be afraid to answer. Do you want to buy a house?"

"If it wasn't for Breena and her damn catalogs, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"Tony." She scolded.

"Yes, I want to buy a house with you. Not right this minute, but sometime in the future, I would like to buy a house with you. I think it's something we should consider." He confessed, and Ziva smiled.

"It is something to consider, something to look forward to." Ziva agreed, which meant it was Tony's turn to smile.

"So, you want to buy a house, too?" he asked her for confirmation.

Ziva nodded.

"We both want to get a house?"

Ziva nodded.

"With each other?"

Ziva nodded, and Tony picked her up and spun her around the room. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms, his neck. They kissed in the middle of the kitchen before Tony finally put her down.

"We made progress today." He teased.

* * *

"Tell me about your dream house." Tony asked of her when they were lying in bed, comfortably in each other's arms that night.

"My dream house?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know, we were talking about houses earlier, so what's your dream house?"

"My dream house, or what I would like when we actually buy a house?" she wondered, turning over a bit to face him.

"Why do they have to be so different?"

Ziva laughed. "When you hear about my dream house, you will know why."

Tony gave her a facial expression, silently telling her to continue. He wanted to know more about it because even though Ziva was a one of a kind, he knew that she was the type who thought about houses and weddings and children.

"Well, my dream house has to be at least two stories high, preferably three, and there would be a balcony where I could hang plants. It has to have a big backyard, so the whole family can be out there, and I would love a pretty garden."

"How big do you want the garden?"

"Huge, and maybe there could be a rocking chair near it, and that's where I can read…" Ziva stopped talking when she saw Tony's huge grin on his face, and she playfully slapped him.

"What?" he asked.

"Now you know why my dream house is different than the house we can get."

"It doesn't have to be." He told her before kissing her lips gently.

"And what about you?" she thought, poking his chest. "I told you about mine. You tell me about yours. Isn't that how this game works?"

"So, now we're back to games?"

"Seriously, Tony, tell me."

"Well, I think a pool would be kinda nice."

"Okay, a pool and…?"

"We have to have a master bedroom with our own bathroom, and I think it should have at least three additional bedrooms." He explained.

"Three, huh?"

"Yeah, you know, f-f-for guests." He replied.

_Guests that go to college after eighteen years. _

"Is that all?"

"Well, maybe two rocking chairs in the garden with one of those little umbrellas hanging above us." He suggested.

"Sounds good."

"Yeah." He said, staring into her eyes lovingly. "Yeah, it does."

* * *

**Thank you everyone for the amazing reviews and uplifting private messages! It is an amazing feeling to have your support.**

**Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter. I really appreciate it! **

**I love you all so much! You guys are the best!**

**NCIStiva3**


	29. Autumn Changes, Chapter 5

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 5**

_I__ can't put this off any longer. No more procrastinating. Just tell him. _Ziva found herself repeating those words in her head over and over again. She was sitting on the couch, her hands folded in her lap, her legs shaking, waiting for Tony to walk through that door. Her doctor's appointment was the following day, and she had kept the secret completely to herself long enough.

She had called Abby earlier that day.

"Ziva!" Abby exclaimed when she realized who was calling.

"Hi, Abby." Ziva said shyly.

"Is everything okay?"

"I promise, Abby."

"What are you talking about?" Abby wondered.

"I cannot seem to make promises to myself anymore." She began to explain. "I have been putting something off long enough, and I have been promising myself that I will do it, but I keep breaking my promises. If I promise you, I have to go through with it. No excuses."

"Are you going to tell me what this promise is?"

"No."

"Didn't think so, but can you promise me something?" Abby inquired of Ziva as she ran a routine examination on Major Mass Spec, making sure everything was still working perfectly.

"What is it, Abby?"

"Promise me that everything is alright."

Ziva debated about whether or not she should promise that to Abby. She didn't want Abby to get suspicious, but honestly, she did not want to lie to her friend. "I promise, Abby." She had said, and those were the last words before she hung up the phone.

Abby was left with a tinge of worry, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she continued with her examination. It couldn't be too bad. At least, that's what she told herself, and those thoughts were able to push her through the rest of the day. Well, those thoughts and the never-ending supply of caffeine.

Ziva was thinking about the phone conversation with Abby as she waited for Tony. She couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty that she had lied to her friend. She tried to reason to herself about it. Technically, she hadn't broken the promise, but she couldn't help but wonder something.

_Is it automatically breaking a promise if you already know it will be broken sometime in the near future?_

"Honey, I'm home!" Tony called as he came through the door.

Ziva jumped a little when she heard his voice, but she tried to play it cool and act like nothing had happened. "How was work?" she asked.

"Work was fine, and I always wanted to say 'Honey, I'm home'. You know, it felt good. Can I say it again?" he didn't wait for Ziva to respond. "Honey, I'm home!"

"You seem to be in a good mood." _Come over here, and talk to me. I will ruin it for you, and wipe that smile right off your face. _

"Now I am." He said before walking over to her and sitting beside her on the couch, giving her an expected kiss as he did so. "And how was your day?"

"Oh, it was fine, but Tony, there is something I really need to talk to you about while I have the courage to do so before I turn into the cowardly lion again."

"Again? Have you been trying to tell me something, Ziva?"

She nodded slowly.

"For how long?"

"Only a couple days." She assured him, but his eyes widened.

"A couple days?" he repeated.

"Tony, please listen. My courage, or lack of, has nothing to do with you. You are always so approachable, but I have had a little trouble coming to terms with this during the past few days."

"You're starting to scare me, Ziva." He said. "What is it?"

"I have, um, been, uh." She paused.

"It's okay, Ziva, you can tell me."

"I have been noticing some things that may be symptoms of breast cancer." She told him, and she could hear his sharp intake of breath. Tony immediately tensed up around her, and he reminded Ziva of a statue, frozen in time. "Tony, please say something." She begged.

Her plea snapped him out of his daze. "There really isn't much to say. You think you have breast cancer, and you don't even tell me for a few days."

"Tony, it's not like that."

"Then, what is it like, Ziva?"

"I was in denial about it. I kept thinking that it was nothing to worry about, and I did not want to wrongfully worry you, but it began to worsen, and you have a right to know. I love you, and I want you to know. We are sharing a life, and I do not want to secretly go to doctor's appointments or do anything else behind your back."

"Just to be clear," he began. "What have you done behind my back?"

"Nothing, Tony." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I swear, nothing. It might not even be cancer. I just set up an appointment with my doctor to make sure. Some women in my family have had it, and I do not want to take any chances."

"When's your appointment?"

"Tomorrow." She answered, and he nodded.

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

She shook her head. "You are the first to know. Don't doubt that, Tony."

"I don't. I just want to make sure you know that you can trust me with this. I know you don't want to scare me or anything, but come on! Cancer is no joke. It's hard to hear about this because believe me, I'm terrified out of my mind right now, but I need you to understand that you can tell me anything."

"I know that, Tony, and I trust you with everything." She said to him, and then she cuddled into his side, something he willingly accepted.

"What symptoms are you talking about?"

"It does not matter."

"I'd like to know."

"I don't think you would."

Something clicked in Tony's mind. "That's why you don't want to have sex!" Tony accused, and he continued upon seeing the confused expression on Ziva's face. "You know, for the past few nights, you've been saying that you're not in the mood or you're too tired or busy, but you're really self-conscious." He realized.

Ziva's eyes were enough to confirm that his statement was correct.

Tony sighed. "Everything we've been through, and you're still self-conscious around me?" he asked.

"Excuse me for wanting to me desirable around my boyfriend." She said, frustrated, before attempting to get up off the couch, but Tony pulled her back, and she didn't feel like fighting.

"You don't get it, do you?" he asked her.

"What?"

"That you're always desirable. There is nothing you can do to make me not want you. I don't care if your boobs are lime green, Ziva." He said, causing her to laugh. "I love you for what's in here." He added, placing a hand over her heart. "Not here." His other hand cupped one of her breasts playfully, not applying much pressure in case he did hurt her. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal." She whispered, taking his hands in her own and meeting him halfway for a proper kiss.

"It's like you said. This might not even be cancer."

Ziva smiled, but her pessimistic side eventually took over. "And if it is?" she wondered.

"Have you forgotten who you are?"

"Enlighten me, Mr. DiNozzo."

"You are Ziva David, someone who does not take no for an answer. Someone who cannot be replaced or cloned because you have an individual personality. You are loving, kindhearted, passionate, dedicated, loyal, beautiful, stubborn and in the words of Ms. Abigail Sciuto, 'you kick ass, and you look good doing it.' I'm sure if you can kick ass, you can kick cancer, and I'll love you all the way."

"Can I tell you something if you promise not to let it go to your head?"

"Anything."

"You really are the greatest man I've ever known." She confessed, relaxing her head again his chest. Tony smiled at her declaration. "You're letting it go to your head, aren't you?" Ziva asked after a few sweet moments of silence.

"A little bit."

* * *

While Tony was taking a shower, Ziva was reading a book, comfortably tucked into her side of the bed when her phone started ringing on her dresser. She saw that the call was Abby, so she answered the phone.

"Hello, Abby."

"Did you do whatever promise it was?"

"I did."

"And is everything okay?"

"Yes, Abby, everything is fine."

* * *

**She told him! I'm sorry it took a little while, but she did tell him. What did you think about this chapter? Please leave me a review because I can't wait to hear what you think!**

**Serena**


	30. Autumn Changes, Chapter 6

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 6**

"You're on your way to the appointment?" Tony asked Ziva when he called her in the office around 3:30 when he was supposed to be in MTAC with the others.

"Yes, I am almost there."

"Do you know when you're gonna get the results?"

"I will ask when I get there." Ziva told him.

"You're gonna tell me everything when I get home?" he wondered.

"Of course, Tony, and when will you be home? Do you know?"

"Gibbs isn't in the best of moods. I'm gonna try to be home by five, but I think Gibbs is gonna get me with a good slap to the head, tie me up, and lock me in his basement until six or seven." He said, causing Ziva to laugh.

"Maybe, DiNozzo, maybe."

Tony jumped when he heard Gibbs's voice around the corner, and he wondered just how much of that conversation he had heard. "Um, hi, Boss."

"You're supposed to be in MTAC." Gibbs reminded.

"I-I-I know, but you see Ziva…"

"Has a doctor's appointment. I heard, DiNozzo. MTAC now."

"Ziva, Gibbs caught me." Tony said through the phone.

"I heard. Give everyone a hug from me. I guess I will see you when I see you."

"I love you, Ziva." Tony said, Gibbs still hovering over him, but Tony could see his face softened when he told Ziva the three magic words.

"I love you, too, Tony. Bye."

Tony snapped the phone shut. He was met with an interesting stare from Gibbs. He got up from the desk and followed his boss up the stairs towards MTAC.

"Should I be concerned, DiNozzo?" he asked. This confirmed that Gibbs had heard the entire phone conversation, including Ziva's appointment.

"I don't know, Boss." Tony replied, and not another word was spoken between the two of them on the subject.

* * *

Ziva hated hospitals, doctor's offices, etc. She knew they were necessary at time, but she still hated them. Dr. Wood's office reminded her of an insane asylum. The walls were a bland white, and the only thing for her to do was fill out the paperwork in front of her. Thankfully, she still had the same insurance because she still worked on the base.

"Ms. David?" the nurse called for her, and she stood up, handing the nurse the completed paperwork and following her to another white room, only this one was smaller. "Dr. Wood will be right with you." The nurse told Ziva in a cheery voice, and then she left.

Ziva was left alone in a white, little room with all the doors and windows shut. Just her and her thoughts, but she honestly didn't like her thoughts at the moment.

The door revealing Dr. Wood did not open quickly enough in Ziva's opinion. When the doctor finally did come in with her trusty clipboard in hand, Ziva felt a short-lived moment of relief.

"Ziva, good to see you again. Although, it has been a while." Dr. Wood said, checking her clipboard for clarification. "Yup. That's right. Someone hasn't been keeping up with annual checkups. The last time I saw you was September 27, 2009. Almost four years."

"Well, I have been very busy." Ziva used as an excuse.

"That's understandable. Now, what brings you here today?" she asked.

"I have been having some pain in my breasts."

"Any specific one more prominently?"

"The left. That one has been bleeding more intensely."

"Your nipples are bleeding?" Dr. Wood questioned.

Ziva nodded.

"Any other noticeable changes?"

"They are swollen, and the color is changing radically."

"To what?" Dr. Wood wrote quickly, her pen swiping across the lines on the paper.

"They appear almost bruised."

"And how long has the discoloration and bleeding been going on?"

"About a week." Ziva answered.

"We're gonna have to evaluate your breasts. We'll do a mammogram today, and I can fax the results over to a radiologist tomorrow morning, and you will be able to get your results in about 1-2 days." She explained. "One more thing. Does your family have a history of breast cancer?"

"Yes."

"Let's get you ready for the mammogram. Have you ever had one done before?"

Ziva shook her head, like she had done so many times lately. "No, I have not." She said, and she felt ashamed to admit it because most women have frequent mammograms taken.

"It'll just be an x-ray of the breast, and I know you've had x-rays done before. Before we get started, I have to ask, is there a chance you may be pregnant?"

Ziva was not expecting that question. It caught her off guard a little bit, but she still answered. "No."

"Okay, well, I'll be back in a few minutes. Here is a little gown to change into. Just crack the door when you're finished changing."

"Okay." Ziva slowly changed into the nightgown, and when she finished, she cracked the door, as instructed by the doctor.

The table she had to lay on for the mammogram was quite cold, and she suddenly felt like a dead body lying on Ducky's autopsy table. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Ziva, before the bleeding and discoloration, did you feel any other pain in your breasts previously?" Dr. Wood wondered when the mammogram was finished.

"Well, I suppose they ached, but I always assumed that was a result of my intense work-outs and runs."

"And is it safe to say that these aches have been occurring for a couple years?"  
"Yes." Ziva answered quietly.

"Well, you are all done for today. The radiologist will contact you soon, but our journey stops here unless it is about regular physicals. Good to see you."

"You, too." Ziva politely bid farewell and left the office, looking at the time on the wall. 4:47. That meant Tony wasn't home yet. At least she could call him.

"Hey, Ziva." Tony said. "How did your appointment go?"

Ziva sighed. "Well, it is over." She told him. "It was just a mammogram. I should hear from a radiologist with the results in 1-2 days."

"What do you think?"

"Dr. Wood seemed a little worried when I told her my symptoms. Did you know I have not been to a doctor in four years?" she asked him.

"I know now."

"Can you pick up some food on your way home? I am not in the mood to cook."

"Sure. Gibbs is gonna let me off in half an hour. I'll pick up some Chinese for two. Gibbs overheard our conversation earlier. He wants to know if he should be concerned."

"If I am breast cancer, then I will tell them, Tony. There is no sense worrying them about something that ends up being a false alarm."

"Oh, you don't want to be the girl who cries breast cancer." He teased.

"What?"

"Never mind." He gave up, not wanting to explain the little boy who cried wolf to Ziva over the phone.

"Then, I will see you soon."

"Yes, you will."

* * *

**Okay...I know some things might be confusing, but I only consolidated everything in hopes of making it easier. From now on, everything will be uploaded on this story. I'm separating it into four, maybe five parts. **

**The first four, each represent one season in the first year of Tony and Ziva's relationship. The last one covers anything after the first year. **

**I will be deleting the separate book, Autumn Changes today because it is already uploaded to here. **

**Also, I don't know who did this because the person is a guest, but thank you so much for what you did. I can't believe you transferred the reviews from Autumn Changes and put them on here for me! That was such a sweet gesture, and I love you so much! I can't imagine how long it took you to do that, but I really appreciate it! I wish I knew who you were, so I could properly thank you, but you are amazing. **

**And thank you to everyone who has left a review. I apologize if I have not replied to your review because I do try to reply to the ones that seem like a reply is good, but I am trying to get in the habit of replying to all of them. **

**I hope that clears a few things up. I love you all!**

**Serena **


	31. Autumn Changes, Chapter 7

"Shouldn't we have gotten the results by now?" Tony asked when they were just comfortably spending time with each other in their apartment.

"Dr. Wood said anytime in the next 1-2 days."

"And it's been almost two days."

"Tony?"

"What?" he asked.

"Just kiss me." She said to distract him because she knew how worried he had been about it lately. He didn't argue.

"Okay." He said before passionately kissing her on the couch.

Ziva was a bit surprised by the intensity of the kiss, but she had no room for complaints. They hadn't been "physically connected" in a while. Of course, they shared the goodbye and good night kisses, not to mention the frequent cuddling on the couch and falling asleep in each other's arms, but sex is also an important factor in a relationship, whether it be a committed relationship or even a marriage.

So, when Tony didn't stop kissing her, all she did was kiss back…harder.

And of course, when Tony began nipping the skin on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses along with it, the phone rang.

"Oh, my God." Tony said with a bit of frustration.

"Ignore it." Ziva said with the same amount of frustration.

"It could be the radiologist."

Ziva sighed. She nodded as Tony handed her the phone, and she answered it. "David."

Tony listened intently to Ziva, and he strained his ears, trying to hear what the radiologist was saying.

"Right now?" Ziva asked. _Right now what? _"Tony, can you get me pen and paper?" she asked him quietly.

He jumped up and retrieved what she asked for. He watched as she scribbled something onto the paper. Something that he could not quite make out, but he knew he would find out in a minute. He evaluated Ziva's demeanor. Of course, she put on her poker face and didn't let anything show.

Damn poker face.

"I will be there soon." Ziva assured the doctor as she hung up the phone.

"What's the verdict?" Tony asked.

"We have to go to the hospital now."

"What?" Tony exclaimed.

"To meet with the radiologist. He said it's urgent. That cannot be good." Ziva's poker face fell as she spoke.

Tony watched that happen. He knew Ziva always felt embarrassed when she was emotional around people. He could see her struggle to hold onto her façade. He hated to see her like that, but he knew eventually Ziva would let every wall down. Eventually, she wouldn't be ashamed to cry, and he knew that was not very far away. The thing was he was feeling about the same.

He was worried out of his wits. Why would the radiologist want to meet with her personally unless something was seriously wrong? He had to be strong for her because he knew she could only keep a straight face for so long. If he had to cry because his worry got to him, he'd do it alone. It really was terrible that they both had issues with their pride.

* * *

The two of them were sitting in the hospital waiting room, Ziva's head snuggled into Tony's chest. He was holding tightly onto her hand and rightfully so.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered to her after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "What about you?" she wondered.

"I'm thinking about a lot of things."

Ziva nodded against his chest. "I don't want to go in there."

"We have to."

"I know, but I don't want to."

"Neither do I."

"Ziva David." The nurse called for her. She reluctantly unwrapped herself from Tony who was already standing in front of her with an extended hand when she was ready to get up. She took the hand he offered, and he was the one to lead her into the room the nurse had left for them.

The radiologist was already in the room, his eyes glued to the screen, re-familiarizing himself with Ziva's mammogram.

"Hi, Ms. David." He said, extending his hand. "I'm Dr. Reid."

Ziva shook it, but there still wasn't a smile on her face.

"And you are?"

"I'm Anthony DiNozzo. Her boyfriend."

"Why am I here?" Ziva asked bluntly.

"Well, then, why don't we review the x-rays." He suggested. Dr. Reid invited the two of them to sit around the computer on the wooden stools. He sat on his little rolling chair and put the x-rays on full screen.

Tony and Ziva's hands reunited, and he tried to give her a reassuring squeeze. Her eyes met his, and he tried to tell her things would be okay, even if he didn't believe it himself.

"Now this is an x-ray of Ms. David's right breast, and if I could direct your attention to right here," Dr. Reid pointed to a section on the x-ray, and Tony could see there was something wrong. "This is a very small tumor."

Tony and Ziva both froze because even though they basically knew this was coming, it was heartbreaking to hear it.

Dr. Reid picked up on this vibe, and he tried to correct it, even though he was well aware most of his efforts would be in vain. "This is nothing, though. I can assure you. It's about 1 cm across and can be easily removed. Trust me, this is nothing to worry about."

"Then what is there to worry about?" Ziva asked. She turned to Tony and gave him a look that said, _something bad is coming. _

Dr. Reid sighed. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I unfortunately can't avoid it in this profession." He pulled up the other x-ray. "These are the images taken of Ms. David's right breast."

Anyone could have looked at that image and known something was not right. The perfect black and white image was disturbed by a white dot, and the white dot wasn't even small. It was gigantic compared to the previous one.

"As you can see, this tumor is bigger than the other one."

_Oh, really? _Tony thought sarcastically.

"This is about 6 cm across, making it stage III cancer, and now look here. The cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes, so it is a really good thing that we caught it now because the cancer is spreading at an exceptional rate. We need to treat this very quickly, and there are several options for treatment, which I would be very happy to go over with you, but I think the best thing is hospitalization. That way the surgeons and plastic surgeons, not to mention doctors who specialize in this field can help you choose the best route for you. Reading Dr. Wood's notes, you've been experiencing aches in your breasts for a couple years that you always dismissed as soreness from exercise?"

"Yes." Ziva answered breathlessly.

"That marks the beginning of the symptoms. The bloody discharge from your nipples is new, but the symptoms vary from person to person."

"So, I have had this for a few years?" Ziva asked, and she could feel a lump in her throat which disgusted her because evidently, she already had one in each breast.

"Yes. That is why the cancer in your left breast is so profound. Cancer in the left is also a little more serious than in the right because the heart favors the left side of your chest."

"You said I should seek hospitalization?"

"Yes, well I have the number of the oncologist in this hospital, Dr. Denise Parker. I suggest you make an appointment as soon as possible and from there, she will make an appointment to remove the tumor from your right breast and begin treatment on your left." He explained.

Ziva nodded. "Well, thank you." Ziva said, even though it was forced. She didn't care how many times a day this man had to tell people they had cancer. He had no sympathy to offer. He didn't apologize. If anything, he seemed very upbeat and positive about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Tony was still trying to catch up. He knew a thing or two about breast cancer, and when he heard that Ziva had stage III, the rest of the words the doctor said were gibberish to him. His mind was in a different place, a place where the woman's hand he was holding wasn't Ziva's. It was his mother's.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet, not a comfortable silence, but not an awkward one either. Their minds were still in different places, but their hands were still connected, of course. It was a way for the two of them to remember that they had each other very close by, close enough to touch, and that reminder was sometimes very necessary.

When they got into the apartment, Tony asked Ziva, "How do you want to tell the others?"

Ziva thought about it for a minute. "Quickly."

"We can invite them over for a dinner or something."

Ziva just shook her head. "I want it to be quick. I would rather it just be a phone call." She buried herself in Tony, inhaling every single part of him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head lovingly. "Please don't make me stand up in front of everyone, look them in the eye, and tell them I have cancer."

It was hard for Tony to look Ziva in the eye at the moment. The tears were building up, and she couldn't hold them in any longer. "I'm not gonna make you do anything that you don't want to do." He whispered to her.

"I know, but can we just call them? There is no reason to have them all over and then make them sad."

"You're right. We can call them. I can call McGee and Jimmy right now."

"Alright, then I will call Gibbs and Ducky."

"Which one of us wants to handle Abby?" Tony asked her.

"I will, but if she gets emotional, so will I and…"

Tony cut her off. "And you'll be a woman, Ziva. There's nothing wrong with letting it out."

"I'm sure you can vouch that it is easier said than done." She was on to him.

"It's just different for me."

"Because you're a man?"

"No. It's just my pride."

"Exactly."

"You're stalling." He noticed. "And you are really good at it."

"Is there any way that I can just get the treatment done without them knowing, and then tell them when it's over?"

"Unfortunately, not." He told her before taking his cell phone out of the pocket. "I'll be in the bathroom."

Ziva almost smiled when she thought that Tony was making the calls in the bathroom, but she kissed him gently before informing him that he could find her in the bedroom.

As they made the calls, the two of them tried to keep their voices down, so as not to disturb the others.

"Hey, McGee, it's Tony."

"Yeah, I can tell by the caller ID." McGee said.

"Oh, I forgot about that. That's a great invention, isn't it? Anyways, um, I was calling to tell you that I just got back from the radiologist with Ziva, and she has stage III breast cancer."

"Oh, my god! What? She never even said that was a possibility! This is completely unexpected! You said stage III?"

"Yup. Stage III."

"God, is there anything I can do?"

"We don't know much right now."

"If you need anything, you'll let me know, right?"

"Yeah."

"And if you get any updates from the doctor?"

"I'll call you."

"Okay."

Ziva's phone conversation with Gibbs lacked the number of outbursts that Tony's conversation with McGee had.

"Gibbs?"

"Ziver." He said.

"Um, there is something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"I have cancer." She whispered, but it wasn't soft enough for Gibbs to misunderstand or not even hear it at all. Her hands were shaking, waiting for him to say something, and it felt like centuries before he actually did.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" he asked, and even though the words seemed a bit harsh to an outsider, he spoke them lovingly and fatherly.

"Fight?" she said questionably. Her voice was unsure and shaky, and Gibbs could always pick up on that through the phone.

"You don't sound too sure about that."

"Well, I'm not." She confessed.

"I think you are, but you just don't know it yet. You'll get the hang of this. God knows you've faced worse. I can hear the fear in your voice, Ziva. Don't let this get you down because it's not the cancer that'll get you."

"It's the doubt." She finished.

"That's my girl." He said, and then he hung up the phone.

And Ziva smiled because he had never called her his girl before.

Palmer expressed his sympathies for both him and Breena.

Ducky conveyed his immediate sadness with the situation, but comforted Ziva with a few stories of cases similar to hers that made a miraculous recovery.

When Ziva broke the news to Abby, she had different ideas of how to talk to Ziva afterwards.

"You promised! You said everything would be okay, and I believed you."

"Abby, at the time, I did not even know it was this serious. Please calm down."

"I can't calm down, Ziva. I-I-I-I mean, how can you even tell me to calm down? I just found out my best friend has stage III breast cancer, and she's telling me to calm down! I'm too terrified to be calm, okay?"

"And you think I'm not?"

"You seem composed enough."

"Abby, I have no idea what is happening inside my body, and I will have to be in the dark until some Dr. Parker can explain all of this to me, but I'm still right here. I'm still on the phone talking to you, and I will still be here with you for ages to come."

"You can't promise me that."

"You are right, but I need you to have faith that the doctors will take care of me. You and I and our family have been tested enough. Hopefully, this will not get much worse."

Abby sniffled. "Okay, but call me every day."

"I will."

"And I'll come and visit you sometime very soon."

"I look forward to it."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Abby."

* * *

"How did Abby take it?" Tony asked her while they were cuddling in bed.

"I calmed her down."

"And Gibbs?"

"He told me to fight." Ziva said, and Tony's reaction was just to hold onto her a little tighter.

"That sounds like Gibbs."

"I scheduled the oncologist for tomorrow." She told him.

"Good."

"Do you think that you could go with me?" she asked carefully and slowly.

Tony kissed the top of her head. "I didn't know that was up for debate." He confessed, and they both smiled.

* * *

**I had to do a lot of research for this chapter. I even looked at mammograms of people with Stage III cancer. This chapter was a little emotional to write, and I'm sorry if they are not as in character as you would like. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Also, please have faith in me. Remember, I have the whole book worked out, and this is only part 2.**

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews! I love every last one of them! I really take them to heart. You guys are so sweet!  
**

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


	32. Autumn Changes, Chapter 8

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 8**

Ziva woke up to the sound of Tony coughing beside her in bed. She gently started rubbing his back.

"Thank you." Tony muttered after his little coughing fit.

"You're welcome." She whispered.

The darkness in the room caused the two of them to lean closer together, so they could see each other more clearly. Ziva gently raised the back of her hand to her boyfriend's forehead and cheeks.

"I think you have a fever." She told him.

"Great." He said sarcastically.

"Do you want me to make you some soup?" she offered.

Tony turned his head to the alarm clock on his nightstand. "It's three in the morning." He informed her.

"The time does not matter if you want some soup." She ran her fingers lightly through his hair, ultimately comforting him.

"You know, according to the doctor's appointment, I should be the one taking care of you right now." He reminded Ziva.

She didn't respond to that specific statement, and Tony knew he had to do a bit of tip toeing around Ziva's official diagnosis by the oncologist the morning before. It still was a hard subject for her. She had some insecurities and some pride issues, which Tony was very aware of, and the constant reminder that there was cancer inside of her body wounded her even more. Gibbs had warned her against that.

"Yes, I would like some soup please."

Ziva nodded and kissed his forehead before she got completely out of bed. She walked into the small, cozy kitchen of the apartment and filled a pot full of water before setting it on the eye of the stove.

At first, she was just standing beside the stove, staring at the pot of water, waiting for it to boil so she could go back to Tony before the loneliness got to her a little bit. She could almost hear Tony's voice pounding in her head.

_A watched pot never boils. _

She rolled her eyes and sighed as she finally came to the decision to sit patiently at the table. She thought it was actually kind of funny. When the two of them were first starting to be a couple, Tony had shown her a small portion of his clingy side. Now, she was the one holding on a bit tighter. She didn't want him to leave her. She knew deep in her heart that he never would, but there are still some fears which cannot be easily allayed.

She thought back to the oncologist appointment she had earlier. Dr. Denise Parker was a sweet lady with rosy cheeks and bright, blonde hair. She was certainly more sympathetic than the radiologist had been, and she was very patient in explaining to Ziva all of the options.

She had advised Ziva towards neoadjuvant chemotherapy after the small tumor was removed from her right breast. The chemo would allow the stage III tumor on her left breast to shrink, therefore being small enough to be removed with breast-conserving surgery, or BCS. However, if this did not work, she would have to get a mastectomy, something she feared more than anything. She really did not want to lose an entire breast, even with the option of reconstruction. Of course, the only one who could understand this mentality was Abby.

Tony was very good in keeping her spirits up. He was serious when he needed to be serious. Strong when he needed to be strong for her. He held back tears when hers were streaming down her cheeks. He made jokes when a laugh was all she needed. He knew exactly how to kiss her when she needed a kiss for comfort.

He was her rock, and it brought a smile to her face, and then the water started boiling.

Ziva smiled as she added the ingredients for the chicken soup. She seemed to always smile when she thought about Tony.

"Hey, boo boo." He said with a grin when she came into the room, even though his throat felt terrible, his stomach was unsettled, and his nose was all stuffed up."

"Does that mean you are Yogi?" she asked him.

"You understood the reference." He applauded softly as he sat up in bed, allowing Ziva to hand him the tray with the bowl of soup.

"I did." She told him, proud of her knowledge and smiling at his gratitude as he sipped the broth from the spoon.

"It's a little hot. Can you blow on the soup for me?" he asked her.

She rolled her eyes, but did as he asked.

"Thank you." He said.

She started thinking again, not even realizing her eyes were fixed on some random point in the wall, but Tony noticed and immediately questioned her about it.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he whispered.

Ziva's face expressed her confusion at the phrase, and Tony couldn't help but grin.

"You were doing so good, too. I was really proud of you for a minute." They both chuckled. "What were you thinking about?"

"I will give you three guesses."

Tony face appeared deep in thought. He loved it when Ziva was in a playful mood, even if it was three in the morning, she had cancer, and he had a fever. Their short-lived games made them smile and life. It made them forget that there were going to be a few more bumps along the road. The games helped them live _in _the moment and live _for _the moment.

"Global warming." He said dramatically.

"No."

"Shark week on Discovery Channel."

"No. You have one more guess."

"Well, you couldn't have been thinking about me, now could you?"

She kissed his lips before he could stop her, but he did instinctively push her away.

"I don't want you getting a fever." He told her.

She smiled. "I think I'm past a fever, Tony."

* * *

Tony was able to convince Ziva to get some more rest that night as he finished the soup. He looked over and saw her comfortably sleeping. He knew she would be alright, but you can't help but worry about one you love.

He remembered sharing his fears with Ducky after the appointment with the oncologist.

He and Ducky were sitting at a beautiful table with a porcelain tea pot in between the two of them. It didn't quite have the same effect as bourbon, but it was warm and comforting as the liquid slid down his throat.

"Did you know breast cancer is the third deadliest cancer, second in women." He asked.

"Yes." Ducky said simply.

Tony had hoped that Ducky would take over the conversation because he was having a little bit of trouble.

"1 in 8 women are diagnosed in the United States. That's just under twelve percent of the population."

"I am well aware of the statistics, Anthony, but I suggest you stay away from them. Every case is different. The numbers you see are just that. Numbers. This cancer will not get the best of our Ziva."

"It was the cancer my mom had." Tony whispered.

Ducky nodded. His psychological profiling was coming to mind, and Ducky figured that Tony was remembering his mother's tragic demise.

"You never told me that."

"Nope."

"Ziva is not your mother."

"If she was, that would be a problem."

"I have always found it interesting, Anthony, how you sometimes use your jokes to deflect serious conversation."

"Is there a way you can switch psychology off?" he asked.

"No. However, I can tell you that the odds are in Ziva's favor. You only see the glass as half empty. You fail to see the 2.6 million breast cancer survivors that reside in this country alone. Ziva is in good hands. The doctors take care of her body. We take care of her spirit."

"Right."

"So, tell me, what path has been chosen."

"She's gonna get surgery done to remove one tumor and then start, um, nonadjuvant chemo."

"Oh, _neoadjuvant_." Ducky corrected.

Now, here he was in bed with a fever that didn't allow him to sleep, looking over his girlfriend.

She had the ghost of a smile upon her lips, which caused Tony to wonder what she was dreaming about. She would say that she didn't dream at night, but he caught her a few times. Sometimes, she would make cute noises or sexy grunts, and sometimes all he had to go on was that smile. A smile of contentment.

He wanted to stroke her hair, but he was afraid the movement would wake her up, so he settled with whispering, "Laila tov, Ziva" before trying to focus on his own sleep.

* * *

**I'm sorry it's been a few days since I updated this story. I'm starting to lose my motivation a little bit, but this happens to me a lot. I go through phases, but I'll bounce back soon. I can feel it. **

**This summer has been difficult, to say the least, and I am just glad that you guys have been here for me all the way. It means so much to me. I hope you all know that. If you've made it this far into the story, you have no idea how much I love you and appreciate your continued support. **

**How did you feel about this chapter? Please leave me a lot of thoughts, and I can't wait to read what you have to say. I know this chapter is a little on the short side, but I didn't want to bore you guys with another drive to the doctor and introductions with the doctor. I don't want to overdo the medical nature of this part. I hope I'm not. **

**Until my next update. **

**I love you all!  
**

**Serena **


	33. Autumn Changes, Chapter 9

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 9**

"I am lucky I'm not being fired." Ziva said as she packed her bag in the bedroom. She was preparing to be kept at the hospital for weeks for the first round of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but first, the tumor on her right breast had to be removed with minor surgery.

"They wouldn't fire you for something you can't help." Tony tried to make her feel better, but it was becoming taxing on him as well.

Ziva sighed and sat down on the bed, placing the bag beside her. "What if I could have helped it?" Ziva asked guiltily.

Tony knew where this was going. He had been waiting for something like this to happen. "Ziva, you can't control it." He said as he sat beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"If I had just gone to the stupid doctor once a year, like I should have, this would have been caught earlier and already dealt with!" she nearly exclaimed.

"Who do you know goes to the doctor once a year, like they're supposed to?" he asked her. He took her silence as a response. "You see. Exactly."

Ziva did not seem as convinced.

"You had no way of knowing that this would happen. It's not your fault. We had no idea. Okay?"

"Okay." She whispered.

Tony kissed her forehead. "Come on. We have to be at the hospital in an hour. Your surgery's this evening."

"You're lucky that you are not being fired." Ziva pointed out.

"They're not gonna fire _me_." He said confidently. "I've got a whole team that won't let that happen, and I kinda think that Vance doesn't hate me."

"You must be so proud, but speaking of the team, how are Breena and Jimmy doing? I have not spoken with them in about a week."

Tony didn't want Ziva to get too distracted. He needed her to pack the bag, so they could get ready to leave. Eventually, he just took the clothes she was folding and threw them in the bag. They didn't need to be perfectly folded. The hospital's standards were definitely not as strict as Ziva's.

"They're taking it one week at a time. The pregnant lady, I think her name's Yvette, anyways, she's at 28 weeks now."

"Twelve to go. They must be excited."

"Jimmy wants my opinion on cribs. He's too scared to ask Gibbs to build one."

"Could Gibbs build one in twelve weeks?" Ziva asked, appearing skeptical.

"Gibbs can do _anything, _Ziva." Tony reminded her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But I tell ya, I think Elizabeth is going to be spoiled."

"Especially by her Uncle Tony." Ziva teased.

"Well, when December 13 rolls around, I might be very happy to hold my very first niece. You know, I'm actually going to be called 'Uncle Tony', and that's something I never thought I could be." He explained.

Ziva nodded with a smile.

"And you're gonna be Auntie Ziva."

"_Aunt. _I will be Aunt Ziva, not Auntie. I am not going to have you tease me for years and years about Auntie Ziva. Okay?" she asked seriously, and she had the certain look in her eyes, which specifically said that she was not a force to be reckoned with.

"Okay." Tony agreed.

"The baby is due December 13?"

"Yup. You know, we can talk about this in the hospital waiting room, so you don't et distracted from packing."

"I'm not distracted."

"Then, why aren't you finished?"

"Why are you losing your patience?"

"Can we just be out the door in fifteen minutes?" he pleaded.

"Alright. Fifteen minutes. I guess I will just fix my hair in the car." Ziva decided, and she laughed when Tony sighed. She had only said that last part to annoy Tony, but he had taken her seriously.

"You don't need to fix your hair. We are going to the hospital, not the palace."

"Tony, I was kidding." She stated matter-of-factly before going back to folding her blouses.

Tony saw this and frowned. "Fifteen minutes." He repeated before kissing Ziva once more and leaving the bedroom.

* * *

Tony and Ziva were very happy with the overall mood of the day. Yes, the two of them were going to a hospital, and it was for very serious reasons, but Ziva's spirits had lifted considerably from blaming herself and being a nervous wreck.

The couple was not somber or angry. There were moments when their fear got the best of them, but that happens to everyone. They looked at this surgery as a step in the right direction. They were getting closer to beating the cancer.

The tumor would be completely removed from Ziva's right breast that evening, and then the chemo would begin on September 25, five days after BCS.

In the waiting room, they were mostly quiet, but their bodies were very close to each other, even in the chairs. Ziva was leaning into Tony, her eyes glancing over the words in the current magazine she was looking through while Tony was mainly doing whatever on his phone, which involved several games of Tetris.

"Hey, do you follow McGee on Instagram?" Tony asked her, effectively breaking the silence.

"What's an Instagram?" Ziva wondered, her eyes never leaving the page.

"What was I thinking?" he asked aloud, mostly directed to himself that towards Ziva. "Well, it's just for posting pictures, and McGee just posted this one." Tony passed her his cell phone.

The picture was of McGee and Delilah smiling at a bar. The caption read: **Hanging with my girl, getting a drink or two. **Ziva smiled at the picture.

"Well, they seem to be doing well." She noticed.

"I guess so."

"Does he talk about her much at work?" she inquired.

"Eh, Tim's not one to kiss and tell, but you always know when he's texting her because he has this really weird smile. Come to think of it, it's actually pretty disturbing."

Ziva playfully slapped him. "Stop it, Tony."

"Gibbs must be pretty annoyed, though. I mean, you got Jimmy, who's the proud, expectant first-time dad, married for a little over a year. You got me, in a committed relationship, and now Little Timmy has puppy love. The bachelors are becoming fewer by the day. I'm sure Gibbs thinks we're getting distracted on the job."

"Has Gibbs said anything?"

"No, and that's the problem. He just gives you this look."

Ziva looked at him like he was crazy. "What look?"

"This look that says, 'put down the phone before I shoot you'." He said.

Ziva laughed.

"I'm serious, Ziva." He said with all the seriousness he could muster, and their conversation had warranted a few strange looks from other people in the waiting room, but they didn't seem to notice.

Their laughter was interrupted from a nurse coming out of triage. "Ziva David?"

Tony and Ziva spent a few seconds staring at each other, before Tony quickly squeezed her hand. "Here we go." He whispered.

* * *

Everything was blurry. She could hear voices, but she didn't understand what they were saying. She also heard a constant sound in the background, and she struggled to identify what it was. She blinked rapidly, hoping it would help clear her vision, but she felt very drowsy, and she wanted to go to sleep, even though she had a feeling that she had been sleeping for at least a few hours.

After a minute, she was able to process her thoughts again. She remembered what had happen, and realized that she had just woken up from the surgery, which meant the tumor on her right breast was gone. She heard that one of the voices in the background was Tony, and upon further examination, she saw that Tony was on the phone and based on what she could hear from the conversation, he was probably on the phone with Abby.

The constant noise that had annoyed her at first began to comfort her when she looked to her side and saw that it was her heart beat.

"Abby, I told you the surgery went by great. The anesthetic has to wear off before she wakes up. I promise that I'll have her call you when she wakes up." Tony turned around, only to see Ziva staring back at him. He smiled brightly. "Actually, it looks like she just woke up. And now the doctors are crowding her, and I'll call you back when I get her back from the doctors. Bye, Abby."

The doctors checked her pupils, her vitals, to make sure everything went by smoothly. There was not a single complication, and the surgery had only taken a couple of hours. Once the doctors had finished recording everything, they had left her little cubicle, and Tony was finally alone with Ziva.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Fine."

Tony smiled. "Good. Abby was calling me every ten minutes for an update."

Ziva chuckled. "The anesthesia is still wearing off, but I can tell the morphine is kicking in."

"Oh, that stuff's great, isn't it?" Tony asked as he smoothed out her hair.

Ziva only wished she could feel Tony even more. He seemed distant, which was understandable because she was lying in a bed, and he was leaning over her. Still, the gesture was comforting, and she would rather have him at a distance than not there at all.

"McGee says he's gonna drop by tomorrow morning. At this rate, it looks like Abby will be here in about half an hour. Gibbs hasn't said anything about visiting yet, but he seemed pretty relieved to find out the surgery was okay. I know he wouldn't admit it, but I bet you one million dollars that Gibbs was worried about you."

Ziva smiled. "And what about you, Tony?"

"What?" he asked, pretending to not know what she meant. He knew that she was going to get him to admit some lovey-dovey, fluffy comment that he had buried in the back of his mind, for himself to enjoy. It was interesting to him when he made those comments because if he had heard someone else say the exact same thing, he would probably think, 'Wow! That guy is so cheesy.'

"Were you worried about me?"

"DiNozzos don't get worried." He informed her proudly. When he looked in her eyes, they weren't hurt or wounded because she knew that wasn't how he really felt. Her eyes were just begging for honesty. "Well, only about you." He said before gently covering her mouth with his.

"By the way, McGee posted a new picture with Delilah on Instagram. This one was at McGee's apartment."

Ziva smiled, but it wasn't because of what Tony was saying. Gibbs had appeared unexpectedly, and he stood unannounced behind Tony, and Tony didn't even notice. He just continued speaking.

"And you know what that means. They go to McGee's apartment directly after they go to the bar." Suddenly, Tony felt this stinging sensation in the back of his head, which caused him to immediately spin around, and he was pleasantly surprised when he saw Gibbs standing beside him with a cup of coffee in one hand and a slight smirk on his face.

"Hi, Boss."

"DiNozzo." He greeted before turning his head. "Ziva."

"Hello, Gibbs."

A few seconds later, Abby came rushing into the room, slightly out of breath, but with a smile on her face when she saw the three of them already in the room.

"Hi, guys." She panted.

"Hi, Abby." They unanimously replied. Abby took a seat beside Gibbs, and the four of them just talked comfortably with one another, Tony doing more talking and Gibbs doing more listening.

Ziva tried to stay awake, but whatever they had pumping through her IV was having an effect on her. The others could see how she was fighting the medicine, and they smiled before telling her to get some rest. With the permission of the others, she was out like a light, lying in her little bed, but she had a slight smile on her face as she slept peacefully.

"When does chemo start?" Gibbs asked Tony.

"Wednesday." Tony replied, never taking his eyes off of Ziva.

"That's gonna be the tricky part." This caused Tony's eyes to venture away from Ziva's calm face, and he finally looked his boss in the eye.

"I know."

* * *

**I want to thank you all for the encouraging reviews and PMs. They mean so much to me, and I am getting my motivation back. I will have ups and downs, but thank you for sticking with me through it all. **

**Also, I have decided to stick with this, so I will probably not incorporate this new 'Bishop' character in my story. Additionally, if Bishop does turn out to be a love interest for McGee on the show, I don't care. I'm sticking with Delilah. **

**For some reason, I really got a lot of inspiration last night, and I just couldn't go to sleep, so i spent that time mapping out the story, so I have everything planned up until 2022. Let's just say that I am very invested in this story once again. **

**You know what would really make my day? Some reviews. Please leave me one to tell me what you thought. I would really appreciate it. **

**Thank you!  
**

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


	34. Autumn Changes, Chapter 10

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

_White walls. _

_Why do hospitals have to be so bland? Why do they have to have that smell? I guess the smell of sterilization is supposed to counteract the smell of suffering and death. _

_"Why does Daddy have to work?" _

_"You know he didn't want to, Tony. I told him to. He can't spend every day in the hospital with me, now can he?" _

_"I do, but I love being here with you. I miss you at home, Mommy." _

_"And I miss you, too, sweetheart. Sometimes I wish that you would just crawl into bed with me in the middle of the night."_

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

_"I can do that now." _

_"Just be careful, Tony. Come here." _

_"Hang on. Let me put your favorite movie on. I brought it with me." _

_"Oh, good! Put it in, and then come in bed with me. Watch out for the wires when you do. Remember what I told you. You have to be very careful around Mommy, but you are already, aren't you?" _

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_We watch the movie together. I don't realize when she starts to fall asleep, and then I start to doze off a few minutes after. The ending credits wake me up. _

_"Mommy! Mommy! The movie's over. Mommy, you missed your favorite part." _

_Beep. Beep. Silence. _

Tony awoke from his dream. Ziva was looking at him curiously, whispering his name.

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"Just a bad dream." He whispered, out of breath. He was still recovering from the nightmare, turning his head from side to side, focusing on where he was at the moment. "Nothing to worry about." He added.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly, but there is something I want to tell you."

"What?" she asked, concern returning to her eyes.

"I know I haven't told you much about my mom."

"No, you haven't." she realized. There was the photo he had shared with her and that had meant a lot to the both of them, but she was still left with so many questions that she wasn't sure exactly how to ask.

"Well, when she passed away, we were in a hospital room like this one. I was watching a movie with her, and she missed her favorite part. I didn't completely understand what was happening. I was only eight, but my dad came and told me she died," he paused. "from breast cancer. Hers was Stage IV. Terminal. I'm just having some flashbacks. That's all." He explained to her.

Ziva listened to him the entire time, nodding her head before she lifted her hand to caress his cheek. She missed touching him openly, and the bed she was stuck in was not very liberating. It also meant that she would have to be awake, which was something she had trouble coping with lately.

The chemotherapy had started two days before, and she was beginning to feel the effects. No hair loss or excessive vomiting had occurred yet, but she could feel it coming. Drowsiness was a definite side effect. Tony had been staying with her when he wasn't at work because he couldn't just quit his job to stay at the hospital with her. He would leave a note by her bed if she was asleep during the visits.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't be." She told him.

The doctor came in a few minutes later.

"Glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling, Ziva."

"Tired." Not that she cared to admit it.

"Well fatigue is very common with chemotherapy patients, especially those being treated with docetaxel, as you are. Have you eaten anything today?" she asked.

"She just woke up." Tony informed her.

"Be sure to eat something, even if it makes you feel nauseous. The nausea should start soon, so make sure you're well hydrated and nourished. I don't want you to ever have an empty stomach. I'll be checking up on you about two or three times a day. After the first week, we can let you get up and move around, but we really want you take it easy right now as your body is adjusting. Okay, Ziva?"

Ziva just nodded in reply.

The doctor offered a small smile before giving the same one to Tony and then exiting the room.

"I don't like her." Tony said.

"Tony." She scolded lightly, feeling another wave of fatigue hit her.

"That smile of hers just creeps me out."

"Tony." She repeated.

"You need to eat. Do you want some crackers or something? I could always pick up some food and come back. Whatever you want."

"Don't spoil me."

"I'm not spoiling you. Come on. Eat something before I start annoying you."

"_Before?_" she teased.

"Alright. Well, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I'm gonna explore the hospital and see what they have. I'll get you something because you have to eat, and I got to go to work in half an hour, so I want to make sure you eat before I leave."

"I'm not a child, Tony."

"I know, but can't you let me take care of you?"

"I am trapped in a hospital bed, hooked up to I don't know how many machines. I cannot leave this bed for the next five days, and doctors check on me each meal. I think I am past just simply being taken care of."

Tony could tell she was getting frustrated with the situation. He was, too. Hell, everyone was, so he knew it was probably best to give her some space. It was hard for her to be physically weak around others, and he knew it was hurting her pride despite his efforts to convince her that he would love her no matter what.

He bent down to kiss her lips quickly. "I'll be back." He said in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, causing her to smile, even if it was a thin smile. It was still a little bit of progress.

* * *

Tony went to work that morning after he had gotten Ziva a turkey sandwich and some ice cream. She threw it up after he left, and she was eternally grateful that he hadn't been there to witness it. She knew he would not have been disturbed by it, but she was still a little embarrassed by it. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of puking all over her boyfriend, or anyone for that matter, especially someone she knew well.

Tony had picked up on Ziva's frustration that morning before he left, so he didn't come back to the hospital after work. He went back to the apartment for the night to sleep in the comfortable bed, but it was not as comfortable without Ziva.

He knew she needed a break. He wasn't trying to neglect her or anything, but he needed time to shower and shave and think, even though he had plenty of time to think while sitting quietly in that little chair beside Ziva's bed. He just needed a little time, and he knew Ziva would understand and appreciate it.

Abby came by to visit her after work though.

"Hey, Ziva."

"Hi." Ziva muttered groggily, he discomfort evident in her voice and face.

"How you feeling?" she asked, almost childlike as she came to sit in the seat, which was normally occupied by Tony.

"Do not ask me that."

"Why not?"

"Three times today, I have had doctors come in asking me to rate my pain and describe and ask how I am feeling or monitoring how much I have eaten or writing down how many times I have thrown up. They gave me three bins today."

"Okay. Do you want to know how I'm feeling?" Abby asked, changing the subject.

Ziva smiled at her friend's attempt to make her feel better, and it did lift her spirits a little. "Okay. How are you feeling today, Abby?"

"Well, I'm worrying about you like crazy, but I know that you promised me everything is going to be alright, and for some reason I still believe you. Breena is so excited to be a mom-to-be. Since her mom's hours away and she's an only child, she's been branching out to us more. She wants to be closer to us, I guess, which I'm all for. After all, she does decide my visitation rights as an aunt. I'm also worried about Tony, and I am still a little curious about Delilah, but overall I am having all these mixed emotions, and thank you for asking, Ziva.

"You're welcome, Abby." Just then, Ziva felt like she was being punched in the stomach as a crippling feeling of nausea crept up on her and she grabbed the bin to throw up.

Abby immediately jumped up and held Ziva's hair for her, turning her head to give Ziva the little privacy she knew she wanted.

"Thank you." Ziva muttered before putting the bin down beside her.

"I can take that for you." Abby offered, but Ziva shook her head.

"A nurse can get it." She assured her.

"You know, Ziva, it's not too late to get a mastectomy." Abby reminded her, but Ziva scoffed.

"I am not getting one." She said firmly.

"I think you're being too stubborn."

"Good."

"Come on, Ziva! Don't shut me out! A mastectomy is not a bad idea. This could all be over with in one surgery. Do you think it's easy for me to just watch this happen to my best friend? Do you think it's easy for any of us? It's definitely hard on you."

"If the chemotherapy does not work, then I will have a mastectomy, but only until then, Abby. Do you know what would happen if I got a mastectomy? I would not have any feeling in the reconstructed breast because it would be fake. I would not be able to breastfeed any children I may want to have in the future, and I am sorry if you do not want to hear it, but I would not be sexually stimulated that way anymore. It would not be over in one surgery." Ziva explained, and Abby's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you." She whispered.

"So am I."

"I just don't want you to suffer."

"Thank you, Abby. I don't want you to worry."

"Well, it's not just you I worry about." She teased. "I'm also worried about Tony."

"You and I both, Abby. How has he been at work?"

"Focused, and I really don't like it when he's focused. It's scary. It feels like Friday the 13th every day." She exaggerated of course, but it made Tony smile.

"I haven't been able to talk much with him, unfortunately. I miss him. I was a little frustrated with him this morning. Well, not so much _him_, as with the whole situation."

"Believe me, Ziva, we all get frustrated with him at some point, so don't punish yourself." Abby said lightheartedly.

Ziva laughed as she brought her fingers up to her hair to try to work out the tangles a little before her expression turned serious.

"What?" Abby asked.

"I will start losing hair soon." She frowned.

"Oh." Abby replied.

"Do you think I could give you some money to buy me a wig, you know, when I do start to lose my hair?"

"Sure. I can take pictures of some, and you can choose the one you want. Do you want something close to your natural hair or something so completely different?" Abby asked, the endless ideas already going through her brain.

"Natural." Ziva decided before yawning.

"I should probably get going. I'll be back in a few days. Good night, Ziva."

"Good night, Abby. Can you hand me my cell phone?" she asked just before Abby walked out the door when she realized the phone was a bit too far out of her reach.

Abby gave her another smile before leaving again.

Ziva called a number she knew all too well. Tony's. He didn't answer when she called him, but she let it ring until the voicemail. She figured he was sleeping, and she smiled slightly, thinking about him. He must have been tired from everything, and she was happy that Tony was finally allowing himself the comfort of sleeping in a bed, so she left him a message.

"Hi, Tony. I wanted to apologize for not being the most…agreeable person this morning. I hope you had a good day at work, and have a good night. I don't know when the last time you slept well was. I suppose I'll see you in the morning. I love you, Tony."

* * *

**Hi! I missed you guys! I know it's been a while, a month actually. Believe me. I'm mentally slapping my knuckles with a ruler for making you guys wait so long. Please tell me what you think about this chapter. **

**They caught my cousin's killer two weeks ago. This is something that is really bittersweet. I just started high school, and I love it, but nothing makes me happier than writing, which I'm writing a non-fanfiction novel, called Half Empty. **

**I hope all of you are doing well, and I want to thank you for standing by me through my ups and downs. You guys are the best! Hopefully, when I wake up in the morning I will have some reviews to read because you know how much I love them! Thanks again, and this concludes my author's note. **

**Love you all!**

**Serena**


	35. Autumn Changes, Chapter 11

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 11**

Ziva began losing her hair on October 11. By the 14th, it was completely gone. Ziva wouldn't even let anyone in the room until Abby got her a wig on the 16th.

Tony could understand where she was coming from, but he was still annoyed that he couldn't see her just because she was bald. That was the only reason he had been denied access, and he tried to give her the silent treatment a little bit when he finally was let into the room, but it had failed once she sincerely apologized and offered him her hand.

"I missed you." She whispered, feeling a little weak that evening.

He sighed. "I missed you, too." He paused before looking around the room. "So, what have you been getting yourself into these past few days?" he asked.

"I met someone." She told him.

He smiled before he jokingly said, "Well, five months. We had a good run."

It was enough to make her chuckle, which was, of course, the original intention. She squeezed his hand to display her delight that her aching body wouldn't allow her. "She is another patient. The nurses thought it would be a good idea for me to meet other breast cancer patients. Chelsea is around my age, and she is very nice."

"Glad to hear it."

"She is actually at the point where she can wander around the hospital, whereas I am still chained to my bed, so she comes to visit me sometimes, and our visits are always pleasant."

"Well, I'm glad someone can keep you company." He said quietly before taking their intertwined hands and bringing them up towards his lips for a light kiss.

"And you, Tony? How have you been?" she asked.

Ah, now it was his turn. His turn to get as many smiles and laughs out of her that he could, and he loved it. Of course, he overly exaggerated details and dramatized everything, but Ziva appreciated what he was trying to do. They had their fair share of serious conversations, and sometimes the seriousness was intertwined with the jokes, and sometimes he just had to make her forget that they were currently at a hospital.

"Well, I'm a little freaked out."

"And why is that?"

"We had this case involving the FBI, but they didn't send over Fornell like they usually do. They sent over this middle-aged woman, named Melinda, and I had to put up with watching Gibbs flirt, and it's a pretty scary thing. I mean, Gibbs telling someone that she's young and pretty when it's really a lie. I was looking for an excuse to leave the bullpen, but I think he was intentionally making me stay! How messed up is that?"

"How long do you think the case will take?"

"A week. Tops. It's times like this where I really miss Fornell."

"You should tell him how you feel, Tony. You never know. He might feel the same way." Ziva threw him an innocent smile as she said that, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You promise you won't get jealous?"

She rolled her eyes before her face noticeably expressed pain, even though her first instinct was to hide it. She held onto Tony's hand tighter as she fought the nausea and cramps and random aches that didn't have a pattern to them.

"And what do the doctors say?" he asked seriously. "What do they tell you?"

"I'm not exactly sure at the moment. I've been asleep every time they've walked in." she confessed.

"I'll check with them." He told her, but her response was to grip her hand with all the strength she could muster.

"Later. Stay with me right now. Please."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

"So tell me more about Miss Amber."

"Amber Mills is very sweet. She's already been through all of this twice and she is just now coming out of remission."

He wanted her to stop there. He didn't want to think that was a possibility. He wanted to go through this just once, and then it would all be over. He never wanted to have to spend most of his nights by her hospital bedside ever again. If he had to, he would, but he tried to keep those negative thoughts from his mind.

That's the trouble with love. 99% of your problems are from scenarios that don't exist, but could happen, and the what if's, could have's, should have's, would have's, and almost's will drive you insane. You spend a lot of your time worrying about the one you love.

"If you don't want to talk about it, Tony, you can just say so." She told him, realizing that he wasn't paying much attention.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"It's not fair to you."

"When have I been fair to you lately?" she asked.

He was about to open his mouth to speak before she cut him off.

"That's rhetorical." She told him.

"I know." He said.

They were silent for a minute before a thought suddenly crossed Ziva's mind, and she just had to know. "How are my plants?"

"Your plants?"

"My hanging plants in the apartment. Have you been taking care of them? Giving them water?" she wondered.

"You expect me to look after your plants for you? Ziva, there are only two hanging plants in the apartment." He reminded her.

"Which is why it should be easy to keep them alive. You take care of Kate. Why can't you take care of a couple plants?"

"A goldfish is a little different than a plant. Goldfish are alive."

She had an amused look on her face. "So are plants, Tony."

He thought about this for a minute before he realized that she was right.

"You know what I want?" asked Ziva.

"What?"

"Let's get a dog."

Tony laughed. They already had enough to deal with. He was not about to pick up some puppy and train it and everything. He didn't want a dog. "You're crazy." He told her.

"Oh, come on. One little puppy."

"I don't even think we'll be able to keep one in our apartment."

"Oh." She realized with an almost child-like defeated expression on her face before she, like a child, yawned again, the tell-tale sign that it was time for yet another nap.

Tony knew the drill. He leaned over the bed just in time to catch Ziva's apologetic smile, and with his eyes, he told her not to worry about it. He placed a feather-light kiss to her lips before whispering, "I love you."

Ziva sleepily, but happily returned the sentiment.

Tony returned to the chair like he normally did. He promised Ziva that he wouldn't hold anymore stakeouts through the night, but he still liked to stay with her until she fell into a deep sleep. This was usually his time to think, and tonight he was hoping to catch one of the doctors and get a detailed update about how everything was progressing.

And then his cell phone rang.

He already knew it was either Gibbs or McGee telling him to come back into work. He could always pretend he was asleep and missed the call, or he accidentally put his phone on silent, but he knew Gibbs would know the difference, and to be honest, he was running out of sick days and comp time. He would have to spend more time at work, so he reluctantly answered the phone, checking on Ziva to make sure the ringing hadn't disturbed her.

"DiNozzo."

"Need you at the office."

"I know."

"You got half an hour."

"I'll be there."

He had a job to do, so he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and just when he was about to leave the room, a nurse entered to check Ziva's vitals. Gibbs said half an hour. That would give him some time to talk to the nurse.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"Just give me one minute." The nurse said as she recorded Ziva's blood pressure. 85/55. A little too low. Ziva needed to start eating more. "You were saying?"

"I hate to admit that she has cancer, but she does, so I want to know how she's doing. How's the chemo helping her? She's supposed to be getting better, but she's a little weaker every time I see her."

"That's normal, Mr. DiNozzo."

"Tony."

"The chemo is taking a lot out of her. We try to keep her well with a lot of food and liquids, but sometimes she is too weak to eat. The tumor is getting smaller, but it's not decreasing at a rate fast enough for the oncologist's liking. We only have a limited amount of time before we have to stop Round 1 and give her a break from the drug."

"And when will Round 1 stop?"

"I think around," the nurse consulted her clipboard to confirm, "Yes. We have to stop administering the drug around November 27. We should release her from the hospital a couple days after."

_November 27._

It was October 17. He could have her back in a little over a month.

"When will Round 2 start?"

"A few weeks after she's released."

He nodded to show that he understood. He left the hospital room with one last glance at Ziva, and when he got to the car, he made sure to add a countdown to November 27 on his phone.

_40 days, 4 hours, 26 minutes to go._

* * *

**I know it's been a while. I'm sorry I've been such a lousy updater. I'm back on track now, and even though I can no longer promise daily updates, I promise more frequent updates. **

**I'm off school today because I'm sick, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity by writing some more. I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think!**

**Good luck with Past, Present, and Future tonight. **

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


	36. Autumn Changes, Chapter 12

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 12**

_23 days, 10 hours, 11 minutes to go. _

Because of the amount of time the doctors had left before round one ended, they were administering the drug even stronger. The vomiting became more profound, and she threw up everything she ate.

There was a period of two days where Ziva didn't want to eat anything because she was so tired of throwing up. Once the nurses threatened to tell Tony, she began eating again.

She had good days and bad days. They mostly cancelled each other out, but still Tony made an effort to visit her every day.

Today was one of the bad days, and it wasn't from the chemo.

"They fired you!" Tony exclaimed when he answered the phone at work.

"I just got the call this morning. I have not been there in almost two months. Honestly, what did I expect? The school cannot keep paying me when I am in the hospital, and they do not know when I will be back full time." Ziva's voice was sad. He could tell she had been crying before calling him.

"I can't believe the principal would do that."

"The principal did not have a choice. His boss told him to fire me, but Tony, now that means a portion of my paycheck is no longer going towards health insurance. Who knows how long it will take to reapply?"

"God, this is a nightmare! You don't have any health insurance right now?"

"I am covered until the 15th when I get my last paycheck."

"Ziva, I'll take care of it. I promise. Don't worry about it. I'll probably get off work at eight tonight. I'll come straight there. You rest."

"Okay." Ziva whispered.

"See you soon."

McGee walked into the bullpen and instantly noticed that Tony was not in the best of spirits. "What's wrong?" he finally asked when he reached his own desk to check something on his computer.

"Ziva got fired."

"For something she can't even help? That's screwed up."

"You're telling me. Now she's got no health insurance after the 15th."

McGee's eyes widened upon hearing the news. He didn't even want to think about how much chemotherapy and x-rays and surgeries would cost without insurance. "The 15th? Of this month? November 15th?"

"Yup. I just wish I could add her to my policy."

"Why can't you?"

Tony looked at him with an expression that said 'What are you, stupid?' "Because we're not married, McGee."

"Oh. Right. Then marry her."

Tony tensed. "We're not having this discussion."

The firmness of his voice told McGee that he probably shouldn't have mentioned it. "Can't you get Famis or something? I think Famis insurance covers people who are unemployed, too, and everything just has five-dollar copays."

Tony's ears perked up. "I'll look into that."

"Look into it later. Need you two to talk to Reyos. He's the last one to talk to Patterson before he died." Gibbs interrupted.

McGee looked up the address of where Reyos worked and they left to pursue the case. It turned out that Reyos worked at a pet store, called Planet Pet.

Tony smiled.

"What?" McGee wondered.

"Ziva wants a dog." Tony told him.

"Really, a dog? You two already have a goldfish. Wait. I'm having a movie buff moment. Did you ever see Marley and Me?" McGee asked him.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Did you cry?"

"No."

"You answered that a little too quickly. Anyways, Grogan buys a dog to keep his wife occupied because he's not ready to have kids." McGee said.

Tony knew where he was going with it. "Really, McGee. In one day, you bring up marriage and kids. You've been conspiring with my aunt, haven't you? Tell me, is my dad involved, too?"

"Have you talked to him lately?" McGee wondered.

"What?" Tony had an expression of shock on his face. That was one question he had not been expecting.

"You know, since this whole thing happened with Ziva. If anyone knows what you're going through, it would be him. I know you two haven't been the best of friends for the past few years, but I think you've made progress. Not to mention he could probably help out financially."

Tony's blood boiled a bit at the last statement. "I can take care of Ziva."

"By yourself?"

"I don't need this right now. Javier Reyos! NCIS!"

* * *

"Tony, you know what I just realized?" Jimmy asked him when he returned to the bullpen.

"What?" Tony asked, a little more annoyed than usual, but Jimmy didn't let it get to him. Tony had a lot to deal with recently, so he continued with his spiel.

"Elizabeth is due on Friday the 13th. I told Breena, and she told me I shouldn't get my hopes up for having a December 13th baby because that's only the due date, but still, I'm so excited."

"You should be." Tony said, not looking up from the paper on his desk.

"How's Ziva?"

This question got Tony's attention. His eyes immediately left his work and became fixated on Palmer. Jimmy knew what he was doing.

"She's, um, she's hanging in there. Chemo stops on the 27th."

"It'll be nice to finally see her moving around again. She probably wants to get out of there so bad. Well, anyways, nice catching up. Yvette should be coming in a couple weeks, and I want you to meet her."

"Will do." Tony promised as Jimmy walked away. Then, Tony looked around the bullpen. It was just him. All alone. McGee and Dorneget were pursuing a lead. Gibbs was up in MTAC, and probably would be for the next couple of hours. He was having an internal battle about following McGee's advice and calling his father. Eventually, he decided it would be best.

After Tony's conversation with his father, he was left with a feeling of peace, even though he knew it probably would not last. His father had reassured him that Ziva was strong. _Tell me something I don't know. _Tony had replied. Senior asked if he should visit. Tony said it was up to him.

The two of them were never very straightforward with each other, and after talking to his father for an hour, he worked up the courage to ask for money.

"I'll pay you back." He vowed.

"I owe you. I'd be happy to have you collect." Senior reminded him, and Tony suddenly felt like he didn't have to worry anymore. Three thousand dollars were just transferred to his bank account.

* * *

Ziva was bored out of her mind. She spent her days staring at a clock, waiting for visits, vomiting, and sleeping. Each day seemed to go by slower than the last. Of course, thoughts of her family brought a smile to her face. The memories kept her going, but the doctors had warned her about depression. After all, depression was a common side effect of cancer. When she found herself cursing the clock on the wall for not going fast enough, Ziva felt depressed. However, only hours later, once Tony walked through the door, she felt elated.

He always knew what to say or what not to say. She had been looking forward to Tony's visit all day when she discovered she had been fired. Finally, he came that night.

"Hey, ZZ Top."

That one nickname, most likely from the top of his head, cheered her up. "Hello."

He took his place in the chair beside her bed and grabbed her hand as he had so many times before. "I've been thinking."

"That is dangerous."

"Don't insult me. You're gonna like it."

"Like what?"

"Let's get a dog." He said.

Ziva was a little shocked to hear Tony make such a declaration. Just a couple weeks ago, she had told Tony about how she wanted a dog, and he had vetoed the idea. "Really?" she asked with a smile.

"You even get to name it."

She thought about the name for a second before finally deciding on one. "Bogie." She said, not minding the name, and knowing Tony would love it.

Of course, he did. "God, I love you. Now we have to find a dog that looks just like Humphrey Bogart. Wait. Can we get two dogs, and name the other one Nicholson?"

"No."

"I can live with that. So, when so you want to get it?"

"Let's look for one when I come home in a couple weeks." The statement brought a smile to Ziva's lips, which did not go unnoticed by Tony, so he repeated the word.

"Home." He said.

"Home."

"You know the 14th is our six-month anniversary." He reminded her.

"Oh, you're such a girl." She said playfully.

"Did you remember?"

"Of course I remember, Tony. I just was not expecting you to be the one who counts the months and celebrates our half-year anniversaries. I did not think you were so sentimental."

"I can be sentimental."

"Obviously, so tell me, what did you have planned for our six-month anniversary?" she asked, her eyes staring into his, laughing as she asked the question.

"Now, when you say it like that we sound like a hopeless romantic, sappy couple."

"Not we, just you."

"I'll bring you take-out food. How about that?" he suggested.

"Tony, you almost always bring me take-out food." It was true. If he got off work at a reasonable hour and the place was still open, he tried to bring her some Chinese food because he knew she wasn't eating very well lately.

"But this time, I'll bring a candle."

"How romantic." She said sarcastically.

"A vanilla-scented candle." He amended.

Ziva gasped playfully. "That sounds perfect. I cannot wait." They both laughed before they were silent for a minute, just enjoying being together.

As usual, it was Tony who broke the silence. "I'm sorry about your job." He said.

"Thank you. You know me. I'll adapt. I will miss it, but I will find something else."

"That's something I love about you." He told her honestly.

She smiled. "I will miss the children, and one of the worst things about this, is they left me without any health insurance." She had been stressing about the health insurance all day. She was not going to pin this all on Tony just because he was the one who currently had a job, even though he was more than will willing. With Ziva, it was always a pride thing.

"I got that covered."

"Tony, I do not want you to have to pay for all this. Please, don't take it upon yourself."

"I won't. I found out about some insurance called Famis. McGee actually told me about it. I was looking it up at work, and you would be guaranteed acceptance. Once you apply, it would only take about a month until you actually get it, so it'll all be taken care of."

She looked at him with a surprised expression. She was speechless.

"I told you I had everything under control." He said.

"Yes, you did."

"Did you believe me?"

"I do now."

Tony decided not to tell Ziva about his father paying him back for all the money he's borrowed over the years, but he did tell her that his father was thinking about visiting one more time before he came for Christmas. "Don't get your hopes up. I said he was thinking about it."

"It would still be nice to see him." Ziva said.

"I don't get why you two are so close. Am I missing something because I seriously don't understand it, Ziva? Sometimes, I think you're his kid, and I'm the one dating Daddy's little girl."

"I adore your father, and he and I have something in common."

"What?"

"You." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And about the Daddy's little girl, as you call it, my father already liked you." She told him.

"And what did I do to earn the approval of Eli David?"

"You saved his daughter." She reminded him. He was about to say something before she added, "And you make her happy. Every day."

Tony gave her a shy smile. Ziva could see just a tint of pink in his cheeks, which caused her to smile. Tony took notice of the time and looked back at Ziva. She could tell he was tired. She silently told him to go home and rest. He leaned over the bed and kissed her whispering, "Happy almost six-month anniversary."

Ziva rolled her eyes before indulging in another sweet kiss.

* * *

**Hi, everyone! I'm getting better at updating! There are only going to be a couple more chapters of Autumn Changes, and then we're on to Part 3, Winter Tears. I'm excited! I have so many ideas for the chapters to come! I hope you stick with me through it. **

**Thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews! I love them all so much. Please tell me what you thought about this chapter. I always love to know what you think! Anyways, I'll be back soon. **

**Love you all!  
Serena**


	37. Autumn Changes, Chapter 13

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 13**

_November 18. 9 days to go. _

A lot of changes were happening for the entire team, not just the Tony and Ziva branch. Yvette had arrived the previous week with her 36-week-old pregnant belly. Tony had met her briefly.

McGee and Delilah were getting even more serious by the minute. McGee didn't talk about her very much at work, but Tony just knew.

Dorneget had moved on from his temporary position as Ziva's replacement on the MCRT. Vance had assigned a woman named Eleanor Bishop. None of the others were sure how they felt about her.

Kayla Vance had just celebrated her 15th birthday, and she now had a boyfriend, something her father felt the need to consult Ziva about, and much to Ziva's amusement. Somehow, she had become Kayla's female role model since her mother's death, not that she was complaining.

Every day, Tony was happier because it meant he was one day closer to taking Ziva home from the hospital. He had already enlisted Abby's help in finding a dog that both he and Ziva could agree on. Abby couldn't believe Ziva was the one who came up with the name, Bogie.

Ziva had started to get some of her strength back. She was eating more, and the vomiting wasn't as frequent. The tumor was getting smaller, but the oncologist still wasn't happy with the rate it was decreasing at.

Senior had decided to hold off on his visit until Christmas. Hopefully, by then, Ziva would be out of the hospital, and they could celebrate between the three of them.

Of course, all these changes were like a dagger in Abby. She didn't want her NCIS family to change. Gibbs told her that the family was expanding, which caused Abby to smile. Gibbs reminded her that Abby had her own biological family. She had two brothers, Luca and Kyle. Luca had given her two adorable nieces.

So, the team had decided that Christmas Eve would be celebrated within their own separate branches, but Christmas Day would be reserved for the whole team. None of them had any objections.

Tony got off work that night and went straight to the hospital.

"How you feeling, Bumpkin?"

"Bumpkin?" Ziva repeated.

"You know, you question ever pet name I call you." He noticed, handing her some lasagna he picked up from an Italian place on the way over.

"Do you think about the names in advance, or do they just roll off your tongue with ease?" she wondered as she took a bite.

"They just come naturally."

"Where's your food?" she asked.

"I ate it in the car." He said matter-of-factly. "Really, I don't think that lasagna compares to your homemade lasagna. I really miss that."

"I miss cooking."

"You'll get to soon." He reminded her.

Ziva frowned as she took another bite. "It's too salty." She decided. Tony handed her some water. "Thank you."

"So, I was thinking about you today, which is something I do every day, and I realized that you are not the kind of person to just watch movie after movie like I am, so I needed to get you something that could help you occupy yourself a bit. I really wanted to get you stuff to knit with just to see your face, but I think I found a few things." He said, reaching into the take-out bag to get what he had bought earlier.

"Oh, Tony, you did not have to get me anything."

"Do you want it or not?" he asked.

"I want to see."

"Okay, well I have three things, one of which is from McGee. He says hi by the way. He wanted to come by, but I think he was a little too preoccupied with Delilah."

"Stop it, Tony." She playfully scolded him.

"Anyways, here you go." He handed her two books. One was in Hebrew, and one was in English. They were two completely different books, but she knew which one came from whom. Tony was the one who would go out of his way to find literature printed in her native tongue. For some reason, books printed in Hebrew were difficult to find in America. The third object he handed her was a leather-encased journal. The stitching on the cover was just beautiful. It was of roses in several different colors. She opened it up to find that it was blank, but it had an engraving on the inside cover. A personal engraving from Tony.

_Z,_

_For everything you can't tell me. For every thought I miss. Don't let it be forgotten because every one of your thoughts is a part of you that I want to hold on to. _

_~T_

Ziva's breath caught as she read the engraving. She looked up at Tony with love, and he handed her a pen.

"Just to pass the time." He said.

"Come here." She told him quietly.

He obliged without a second thought, kissing her sweetly and passionately. He missed the passion.

"Thank you." She said when they parted.

"No problem, Gum Drop." He said as he sat back in his chair, stealing a bite of Ziva's bread stick in the process.

She broke it in half, handing him the larger half, even though she knew he had already eaten his fair share. Her appetite was still not very large. "Anything interesting happen at work?" she asked.

"Not really. No case today, which I guess is good because that means the military world is somewhat at peace, but Ducky's trying to talk Gibbs into Twitter because Ducky just loves it. Of course, Gibbs isn't too happy about the social networking thing."

"I can imagine."

"Why don't you have a twitter?"

"No, Tony." She said adamantly.

"Come on. We could follow each other."

"So, you just want another follower?" she asked. Tony nodded, and she rolled her eyes. "Anything happening outside of work?"

Tony laughed. "Okay. One thing happened. A friend of mine from Baltimore PD. A guy named Dylan, well he and his wife are moving down here from Baltimore, and they invited me to dinner when they settle into their new house. Apparently, I'm the only one they know in the area. By the way, that invitation extends to you."

"Sounds nice."

"Yup. Don't know if they're gonna follow through with the invitation, though. Dylan just might be after my job."

Ziva chuckled.

"I'm serious, Ziva."

"I know you are."

Just then, Tony's phone vibrated, alerting him that he had a new text message. He was still smiling at Ziva when he looked down at his phone, and then his eyes widened. Ziva immediately grew concerned.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Ziva asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Nothing's wrong." He said with a smile. "We're about to have a niece. Yvette's water just broke. They're on their way to this hospital. Looks like I'm not leaving here tonight."

"When will they get here?"

"About ten minutes."

"You have to go. You have to be there when they check in." Ziva told him.

"Ziva, it's not like the baby will be born right when they get here. It'll take a few hours. It's ten right now. Elizabeth probably won't be born until tomorrow." He explained to her.

Ziva still wanted Tony to be there when Elizabeth was born, especially because she couldn't be there herself. "At least promise me you'll go when Elizabeth gets to 7 cm." she asked of him.

"7 cm?"

"Dilated, Tony."

"Right." He said, a little bit embarrassed. "Looks like Jimmy won't be getting his Friday the 13th baby. Poor guy."

"She is three weeks early, isn't she?"

"Yup. I hope Breena and Jimmy are ready to be parents."

"They are." Ziva said confidently. "I wish I could be there. You have to take lots of pictures for me, and I want a picture of you holding her. I need to get that one framed. I also want a picture of Elizabeth with Breena and Jimmy. Tony, we need a photo album." Ziva decided.

Tony smiled. He found it fun to watch Ziva get all worked up, especially over home improvement, babies, and sentimental things. "Sure thing." He said.

"We need to start taking more photos."

"Ziva, calm down."

"We need more shelves to put the photos."

"Ziva, let's focus on Elizabeth, then you getting out of the hospital, then getting a dog, then home improvement."

"Okay."

"Elizabeth Debony Palmer. That's a mouthful."

"Tony, it's a beautiful name." Ziva said.

"As long as Acelynn is still available." Tony mumbled.

"I cannot believe that you have been thinking about that name for years now. The original Acelynn is probably an adult by now, but I will admit that name is very pretty, too."

Tony's phone vibrated again. This message was from Abby. He didn't even have to see whose number it was. It had about ninety exclamation points and it was written in all capital letters. "Abby's on her way." He announced, passing her the phone.

Ziva laughed. "She most certainly is."

"Maybe I can get Jimmy to bring up Baby Elizabeth." Tony suggested.

"That is not necessary. Just take a lot of pictures. If all of yours come out blurry, then hopefully I can depend on Abby."

"Hey! I take great pictures!" he defended himself.

Ziva smirked, thinking about the photos he had taken while they were in Paris. Most of those were out of focus and blurry, sometimes even missing a section of the monument altogether. However, he did seem to take good photos when there were people in them. The picture he had taken of her was very flattering, much to her relief. He would never let her hear the end of it if he had taken a bad photo of her.

Tony seemed to know what she was thinking, so he amended his statement. "I take great pictures most of the time, but hey, everyone makes mistakes."

"Some more than others."

Jimmy sent them an update every ten to fifteen minutes. Abby arrived half an hour later, and McGee said he would be there in a couple minutes. He had called Tony to tell him that.

"McGee sounded a little out of breath." Tony told Ziva. "At 11:45 at night. You know what that means, right? I bet I could trace his cell and place him in Delilah's apartment. Man, he makes me proud."

"Tony, stay out of his sex life. He stays out of yours."

Tony wanted to make a comment about how his sex life was currently nonexistent, but he realized that even if he said it jokingly, Ziva would be hurt by it, and her spirits were already down because she wouldn't be able to be there when Elizabeth was born.

"True, but still, I think he's competing with me."

"Tony." She admonished.

"I mean, think about it, Ziva. He hooks up with Delilah just when you and I officially become a couple."

"Actually, Tony, McGee and Delilah were together about a week before you and I were." Ziva told him, and Tony's bubble had been popped. Ziva smiled.

"You laugh at my pain." He said before looking down at his phone. "Yvette's 4 cm dilated. They won't have to give her an epidural. Can you decode that please?" he asked.

"It just means that they won't have to induce labor. She gets to deliver naturally. Lucky her." Ziva explained.

"Does that mean women don't normally deliver naturally?"

"Do you really want me to have to explain childbirth to you?" she asked, already having ideas in her head to freak him out. She really wanted to see the expression on his face when she explained a C-section.

By 2:00, Yvette was 7 cm dilated. Tony could tell that Ziva was trying her best to stay awake. He kissed her goodbye before he went downstairs to find the room. The only two people in the room were Yvette and Breena. Jimmy, Ducky, Abby, and McGee were waiting in the designated waiting area. Tony took a seat in between Jimmy and McGee.

"Why aren't you in there?" Tony asked Jimmy.

"They want me to wait until she starts pushing. Yvette's request, and I kinda can't argue with her. She's giving me her kid."

"Your kid." Abby corrected. "My niece."

"My niece, too." McGee said.

"But come on. I'm gonna be her favorite uncle." Tony reminded them.

"Uncle Tony." Abby said sweetly, trying the name out. "Auntie Ziva."

"_Aunt._" Tony corrected. "She doesn't want to be Auntie. I guess you can have that title." He said.

"Is that because Ziva's gonna have the title, Mommy?" McGee joked, knowing it would make Tony uncomfortable. It always made him laugh to see his reaction every time he brought up marriage and children.

"Oh, my God!" Abby nearly exclaimed. "Is Ziva pregnant?"

Ducky and Jimmy were both now interested in the conversation, and McGee was grinning like an idiot.

"No. Ziva's not pregnant."

"Is she trying to be?" Abby further asked.

"No. We are getting a dog soon. That's it." Tony told them before deciding to turn the tables on McGee. "What about you, Tim. Is there gonna be a McDaddy anytime soon. Delilah seems to be the type that just can't wait to settle down." Tony said.

"She does want to settle down, but we're taking it slow." McGee assured them.

"Is she the type that'll write Delilah McGee all over her work notebooks like a little schoolgirl? You're robbing the cradle with her."

"Not as much as you are. Delilah's only a few months younger than Ziva, and you're a few years older than me." McGee informed him.

"Palmer, how much younger is Breena than you?"

"Five years, 3 months, 11 days." He answered without hesitation.

"Face it, Tony. You and Ziva have the biggest age gap."

Before Tony and McGee could get into another argument, Breena came out of the delivery room. "Jimmy, it's time! She's about to start pushing! Come on!" Breena might not have been the one giving birth to a baby, but she definitely had a mother's glow going for her. She looked so happy and excited, and when Jimmy found out it was time he looked excited, confused, anxious, nervous, and delighted all at the same time.

"I'm about to be a dad." He said. Breena nodded. Tony was able to catch a glimpse of Jimmy kissing Breena as they walked hand-in-hand into the delivery room. Tony couldn't help but think it was sweet.

Twelve minutes later, the group could hear the cries of an infant, and they all knew simultaneously she was here. Tony quickly texted Ziva to let her know. Ziva replied by telling him to take as many pictures as possible.

After four minutes, Abby couldn't take the waiting anymore, and she was about to burst into the room herself when Jimmy came out, holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket with her head covered by a matching hat, in his arms.

"Elizabeth, meet your family." He said.

Abby squealed in delight as she held out her arms to hold the baby. Jimmy reluctantly handed her over. He didn't want to let go of her yet. Tony snapped a photo of Abby holding her before Abby held her out to him.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Hold her." Abby said.

Tony took the child in his arms, and Abby was able to take a picture. He held her as he walked in the delivery room to find Jimmy holding onto Breena, their smiles big and bright.

"What do you think of our daughter?" Breena whispered.

"She's perfect." Tony told them.

"Born November 19, 2013 at 3:21 a.m. 6 lbs. 13 oz." Jimmy said from memory.

Tony handed Elizabeth back over to her parents. "Ziva wanted a picture of the three of you." He said as he took the shot.

"How is she?" Breena wondered.

"Sad that she couldn't be here." Tony said.

"She'll be here soon." Ducky assured them before holding out his arms. "May I hold Miss Elizabeth?" he asked.

They passed her around for a while, none of them wanting to give her up. After an hour, Tony had taken over a hundred photos of the whole experience.

"You'll bring her to work, right? So Gibbs can see her, too?" Abby asked.

"Already here, Abs." Gibbs said from behind them, surprising all of them. Abby leapt into his arms, which was expected by Gibbs. "Ziva called." He said, answering everyone's unspoken question. "Went up to visit. Figured I could come here, too."

"Of course, Agent Gibbs." Jimmy said happily. "Did you want to hold her?" he asked.

"You enjoy her. It's getting kinda crowded in here. Breena, always good to see you." He said politely.

"Likewise, Agent Gibbs."

"Yeah, I'm gonna call Ziva and send her the photos." Tony said, stepping out of the delivery room. Of course, everyone told Tony to tell Ziva they missed her and were thinking about her.

Ziva picked up on the fifth ring, which meant she had probably fallen asleep. That must have been the reason Gibbs left when he did.

"Hello?" Ziva answered drowsily.

"You're an aunt, and I'm an uncle." He told her.

"I know. Isn't it great?" Ziva asked.

"Yup. Stay tuned for a lot of pictures coming your way. I'll be up soon. I'll probably spend the night in your room, if that's okay with you. Anyways, we have a baby now."

"Jimmy and Breena have a baby." She corrected him.

Tony smiled. "Yeah, I know, but still."

Ziva heard the words that Tony had not said. They weren't ready to start talking about children yet. She knew they both wanted them, but they had so much to deal with right now, so they had both silently agreed that once they had tackled all the obstacles in front of them, they would discuss it. "So, I will see you soon?" Ziva asked.

"You bet." Tony said as he hung up the phone to walk back into the delivery room. One day, it would be him in Jimmy's place, smiling proudly at his baby. He used to be scared of the idea, but now he welcomed it, which showed how much he had really grown up. He had Ziva to thank for that.

"Congratulations, Palmer Family." Tony said for the first time that night.

"Thanks, Tony. Hey, do you think you could send me some of those pictures you took? I know Breena's family would love some."

"Sure thing, Jimmy. When are you two going down to visit?"

"Don't know and don't care. I'm a dad."

Tony couldn't stop staring at the beautiful baby. "Can I hold her again?"

* * *

**What did you think? How did you like this chapter? I loved writing it, and I was glad that I could give you guys a chapter that was a little longer than usual. I hope you enjoyed. **

**I'm really busy at the moment, but I'll try to give you the next chapter withing the next few days. Hopefully, by Friday because I'm going out of town this weekend. Please leave me a review, and thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing. It means so much to me. **

**Love you all!  
Serena **


	38. Autumn Changes, Chapter 14

**Part 2**

**Autumn Changes**

**Chapter 14**

"Lost time is never found again. I forget who said that."

"Benjamin Franklin." Ziva informed Tony as he sifted through various junk mail and advertisements on his phone. The quote had been in the back of his mind all day, and he was trying to figure out who said it without consulting the internet.

"Why do you say Franklin?"

"Because I know it is Benjamin Franklin. You forget, Tony, I spent months studying the founding fathers of America." She reminded him.

"Well, it's a good quote. Ben was a good guy."

Ziva looked at him incredulously. "The man was someone who could not keep it in his pants. He got his girlfriend pregnant, married her, left her for a country that had not even been founded, cheated on her in France, and made no efforts to contact his son."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Bad morals. Good ideas. I can't stand guys who cheat."

"But, I do agree with you. It is a good quote. However, it is not one of my favorites."

"And what is your favorite?" Tony asked curiously.

"Edmund Burke. 'All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.'" She recited from memory.

"Huh." Tony said, trying to commit that new detail about Ziva to memory. "Anyways, the Ben Franklin quote just stood out to me. You know, living in the moment, smelling the roses. God, I can't wait for you to come home tomorrow."

"Tony, they are only stopping the drug tomorrow. It does not mean I can immediately go home."

"I know that, but when they take the IV out, you can walk around and be liberated. You're gonna love it again. I know you can't wait. It feels like an eternity for me. It must feel like even longer or you." He decided.

"I've managed." She told him with a triumphant smile.

"They say time flies, but it really hasn't been lately."

"And I only hope it will stay that way once I return. There is so much I have to do before I have to start Round 2 of chemo."

"When does that start again, anyways?" Tony asked, looking up from his phone.

"December 16."

"I don't even get a month?"

"Tony, it will be alright."

"Have you talked to the doctor?" he wondered, asking what he usually asked every visit to see if there was any change.

"She has not been in today." She informed him.

"She wasn't in yesterday." He remembered.

"Tony." She sternly said. She didn't want him to act as if she was the most important patient. Ziva understood that doctors had other people to tend to. Tony just wanted to make sure Ziva was taken care of. There was no doubt he cared about the others in the hospital. He just would have preferred a little more attention towards Ziva.

"I just want to know if she's slacking off."

"I can assure you she is not."

"Okay, but if she doesn't come to check in with you in the next two hours, I'm gonna track her down." He threatened.

"And if she's caring for a seven-year-old with leukemia?"

"Then I'll come back to the room."

Ziva smiled. "I finished my book." She told him, changing the conversation.

"Which one?" he asked.

"The one you picked out."

"Did you like it?"

"I have a feeling that you did not just randomly pick out the book because you saw the Hebrew script. This is something that you searched for and spent days waiting for, and I found the sticker on the inside of the cover that says you even purchased it online, directly from Tel Aviv. Not from the Library of Congress." She told him.

His smile faded from his face. He had been caught in a selfless act of love for his girlfriend. He could tell it just meant all the more to Ziva, but he didn't want her to know how hard it was to find it. "There was a sticker?"

"Front page." She answered.

"Oh."

"Thank you. I loved it."

"Did you start the other one?"

"No, but I have been writing in the journal you gave me. I plan to start the other book in the morning."

"About?" he asked.

"The book is about…" she began, but he interrupted her.

"No, not the book. What have you been writing in the journal about?" he inquired, looking to the stand by her bed where it was currently residing.

Ziva gave him a mischievous smile. "Those are my private works." She emphasized the word 'private'. "I believe they are for my eyes only."

"I'm not asking to read it. I just want to know what you're writing about. Just throw something out there. Give me an idea. How much have you written anyways?"

"I have written at least fifteen pages." She picked the journal up from her bedside to confirm. "Actually sixteen. It's mainly how I feel and what I'm thinking about." She flipped through the pages to see if there was anything she had not mentioned. "And you." She quietly added.

Tony's ears perked up. "And what did you say?" he asked innocently.

"My eyes only." She repeated slowly.

"Oh, come on. You wrote it in English, Ziva. You're practically giving me an open invitation." Tony justified. He figured if they were top secret thoughts, she would have written them in Hebrew.

"Tony, I speak more English than I do Hebrew."

"Do you dream in Hebrew?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"You know, when you dream and people say things, does your subconscious have them speak in English or Hebrew?" he wondered. He had a quizzical look on his face, as if the question was suddenly very important to him.

"Hebrew," She answered. "but I will be writing in this journal in English. As for your complaints, I hope you will be able to exercise self-control and avoid temptation. You know what they say. Curiosity killed the….is it bat or cat?" she asked, her nose crinkling in confusion, trying to remember the animal.

"It's cat. Curiosity killed the cat."

"I think bat provides a better image."

"You would think that."

"Tony, we need to make a list of everything we need to do. We will be so busy when I get out of the hospital."

"Not too busy, right? And if we plan out everything, we won't enjoy it. I know we have to do a lot of things, and I know you want to spend time with Elizabeth and get a dog, but Ziva, what if we don't end up with enough time to spend together? Just you and me?"

"We will have time, Tony." She tried to assure him as she reached for his hand. "I know we will. We will have plenty of time to go out, to stay in, to stay in bed." She added that last part with a seductive smile, something Tony greatly appreciated.

He winked at her before chuckling. "Good. Good. We'll have time for that."

"There are priorities, Tony. You and I together. Us. That is one of them." She explained to him. "But I still want to see Elizabeth, and I still want to see the rest of the team, and I want to meet this Agent Eleanor Bishop, and I want to get a dog, and I want to think about my next job."

"All understandable."

"I thought so." She said with a smirk.

The doctor did come to check in on Ziva within the hour. Before they discontinued the drug the next day, she wanted to take another mammogram to help document the course of the cancer. She was hoping for improvement. She got it.

Tony had decided it was a good idea to call it a night before Ziva went in for another mammogram. He knew she probably didn't want him for that anyways. He had been involved in a lot of it, but there were some more personal matters that she didn't exactly need him to be there for. He was pretty good at distinguishing which one was which. She never had to tell him to leave, something that she was very grateful for.

The doctor told Ziva that she would be discharged a few hours after they stopped administering the drug, docetaxel. This was something she was very excited about because she had anticipated having to stay for a couple days after they stopped the IV.

"That means the mammogram looks good, yes?" she asked the doctor.

"Well, Ziva, the tumor is improving, but it has to decrease to a certain size before we can perform the surgery to remove it without causing serious damage to the breast. This is something that you have been afraid of, I'm sure."

Ziva nodded in agreement.

"The tumor will not advance while you are on your little break, and when you come back on the 16th and we re-administer the drug, that will be your last chance. If it is not less than 2 cm by the middle of February, we will have no choice but to perform a mastectomy." Dr. Parker explained.

"Do you think that I will have to have the whole breast removed?" Ziva asked.

"No, I don't. There's no reason to suspect the tumor will be that unwavering. The drug is beating it. It's just a little slow. Knowing your personality, the tumor is just a little like you. Stubborn."

Ziva laughed.

"You'll be fine." The doctor told her. "Just wait and see. I'm happy for you. I know you must be happy to get out tomorrow."

"I am." Ziva said.

"What do you think you're gonna do first?" the doctor asked as she checked Ziva's blood pressure and heart rate, so the nurse would not have to do it later.

"I am going to cook a nice meal and have some red wine and watch a very long movie on the couch with my boyfriend." Ziva said with a smile, imagining the picture in her head.

"Good for you. Just don't push yourself too hard." The doctor advised before leaving the room to move onto her next patient.

Ziva knew Tony was probably already asleep, and she didn't want to wake him up to tell him the news. She could just tell him the next day because he was already going to be there when they took the IV out, and she didn't want to just tell him over the phone. She wanted to be able to see his face and witness his reaction.

It was late, but she wasn't tired at all. This new found energy and excitement made her happy and radiant, s she picked up her journal at her side and continued writing.

_I just found out I can go home tomorrow. There is so much I want to be able to do before I have to come back here. Most of my ideas involve Tony. I've grown so dependent on him. I should be scolding myself for throwing a lot of my burden on someone else, for leaning on him indefinitely, but it is something I have not allowed myself to do in a long time. _

_ Tony is the ideal man. Well, Tony himself is not every woman's dream, but I know every woman would love to be treated the way he treats me. There is so much I want to do for him, so much I want to say to him, and I want to thank him for being there for me throughout this all. _

_ During all of this, I can't think of one time he complained. When I first met him, complaints are all that came out of his mouth. That and expletives and some form of rating women on a scale of one to ten. He has grown up. Sometimes, I like to think I can take some credit for the man he has become. And honestly, he can take a portion of the woman I am now. _

_ I can write about him for hours. His endearing qualities. His unique characteristics. His quirks. The things he does that annoy me beyond belief. Every annoying pet name he has ever referred to me by. The ridiculous gibberish he mutters into his pillow when he is dreaming at night. _

_ I just need to have some form of concrete evidence that I love him so much. If I ever get angry with him, I need to look back at this and think of everything he's ever done for me. _

She finally put down her pen and fell asleep, a smile upon her face as her last thoughts were of Tony, knowing she would return home the following day.

When she awoke the next morning, she looked at the time. She immediately noticed that she had slept in until ten, something that was very unusual for her. However, she did feel refreshed and energized. She looked down and noticed she had one missed call and two text messages from Tony. She smiled.

As it was a Wednesday, he still had to go into work, but he would be leaving around one, and they would play the rest of it by ear. Ziva tried to go back to sleep, so when she would wake up, it would all be over, but that plan didn't work.

She did start on the book McGee had picked out for her though, and she really enjoyed. She made it 148 pages in before Tony arrived, and he arrived about half an hour before scheduled removal of the IV.

"Hey, Ziva." He said, walking into the room.

"No nickname today?" she asked.

"You disappointed?" he wondered before kissing her nose and briefly kissing her lips. "You aren't getting too attached to those, are you?"

"There is just something about them."

"Yeah, well, there's something about you right now. Look at that smile. I don't think I get all the credit for it. You look so happy." He noticed, looking at her a little more intently.

"I am happy." She assured him. "And you will be even more so when I tell you what I have been holding back since last night."

"Shoot." He said, taking the seat beside her.

"I get to go home today." She said calmly, and the expression on Tony's face said it all.

His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. His eyebrows furrowed before his lips turned up into a bright smile. He was overjoyed, to say the least. Of course, Ziva was, too. She just wasn't as expressive as Tony. "You get to go home today?" he repeated, trying to make sure it hadn't all been in his head, or he hadn't simply heard her wrong.

She nodded, and he kissed her ferociously, seizing her lips in his, claiming her tongue. She was so surprised that she didn't put up a fight as he dominated her mouth, clasping his hands at the back of neck, knowing all too well not to run his fingers through her hair like he desperately wanted to because of Ziva's wig.

When he pulled back, Ziva was still in a state of shock. She was left breathless with swollen lips. Her eyes were still closed, and when she opened them, Tony's face had been completely pulled from hers; as if he was never even there, but he was left with a smirk that told her this was only the beginning.

The nurse knocked on the door about eight minutes after to find Tony and Ziva laughing about something, but they grew silent when they heard the knock. She came in, and for some reason Tony thought the whole process might be a little more complicated, but it actually wasn't.

She told Ziva it would sting a little, and all she did was remove the first needle from her body, and then the second needle, and then the third, bandaging the puncture wounds as they went along. "Okay, Ziva, you're free to move around. Don't go too fast because you haven't been on your feet in a while, but I'm sure Tony will be more than willing to help you if you falter. I'll be back soon with your discharge papers."

"Thank you." Tony and Ziva said simultaneously. When Ziva heard the door close behind her, she jumped up and quickly got out of the bed. When her feet hit the floor, she moaned in pleasure.

Tony loved the sound.

Ziva reached for Tony's hand to help her get up from the bed, and he obliged, but soon she took a few steps away from him and let go of his hand. He watched as she explored the room, walking cautiously at first, and then briskly.

He knew she was going a little faster than the nurse would recommend, but he knew better than to stop her. He was enjoying watching her. She was glowing as she rediscovered her feet. It was easier than she had expected. She never fumbled once.

She took a few laps around the room before returning to Tony and throwing her arms around his neck. This time she was the one to surprise him.

He was embarrassed to admit that her light weight had taken him by surprise and thrown him back a little, but he quickly recovered, kissing her sweetly, knowing they were free to go soon.

The nurse returned with the discharge papers, which Ziva filled out, her hand racing across the papers, her handwriting almost illegible, but she managed. When she handed the last paper to the triage center, she turned to Tony, who was by her side like he had been for months and said, "Let's go home."

It was almost enough for him to carry her bridal style to the car. He didn't, though. They arrived home in record time, and when they got there, Tony was bombarding her with questions of what she would do first.

She silenced him with a kiss, which led to more kisses, which led to tongue, which led to a pile of clothes on the floor, which led to the bedroom, which led to the slow sex because she was still a little weak from the whole experience.

When they were both satisfied, they found themselves staring at the ceiling, wrapped in each other, entangled in the peaceful silence.

This time, it was Ziva who broke it. "I missed you." She whispered, almost like a child ashamed to admit it.

He turned to her and kissed her. "I missed you, too."

"I am sorry for all of this."

"It's not your fault, Ziva."

"I know it's not, but it has been so hard on you, as well." She reminded him. "You have been strong for me when I could not be, and I love you so much. Thank you for it."

"No problem, Ziva. You're home now." He said, and she nodded. They both stopped staring at the ceiling for a minute to look at each other, lost in the other's eyes. They communicated so well without words. Right now, he was basically saying that he would take care of her and that she never had to thank him for loving her.

"But for how much longer?" she asked, shaking her head in doubt.

He kissed her temple. "Hey." He whispered to her. "Lost time is never found again. Don't focus on that. We have time, Ziva." He assured her.

She tried to look like she believed him because she mostly did.

He sensed her doubt and reminded her, "You and me, we can get through anything. Always have. Always will. Only us."

She smiled. "Only us."

_End of Part Two_

* * *

**Wow! I really can't believe part 2 is finished. Thank you so much for staying with me through all of this because this was a hard time for me. With my cousin's murder, high school starting, I really appreciate everything that you have done for me. **

**Your reviews light up my day, and just seeing how many people favorite and follow the story makes me smile, so I hope you will stay tuned and be on the look out for my next update for Part 3, Winter Tears. **

**Hopefully, I'll get Winter Tears started within the week. Thanks again! **

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


	39. Winter Tears, Chapter 1

**Part 3**

**Winter Tears**

**Chapter 1**

Tony DiNozzo opened the door to his apartment only to jump because of the loud barks from his and Ziva's new dog, Bogie. He wasn't even a dog. He was a puppy, and the barks weren't even barks yet. They were just loud noises.

They had only gotten Bogie a couple days ago. He can still remember Ziva saying, _Oh, come on, Tony. He's perfect! _Tony wasn't too sure about the Siberian husky puppy. Sure, he was pretty adorable, but for some reason, that puppy looked like trouble. He reminded Ziva that huskies love to work, and they need a lot of exercise. _Which is why he will go running with me. _Ziva told him. Tony smiled at the memory.

"Quiet, Bogie!" Tony admonished the dog. "It's just me." He knelt down to pet the puppy after he turned on the hallway light.

For Tony, working at NCIS was rewarding, but it was annoying on the nights when he was finally getting home after working for 38 hours straight trying to track a terrorist cell, especially when he had a girlfriend waiting for him at home that would have to go back to the hospital in approximately thirteen days.

Said girlfriend, Ziva David, was currently sleeping peacefully in their bed when Tony found her. After all, it was two in the morning. Tony smiled as he watched her sleep before stripping down into his boxers and an undershirt, tossing his other clothes carelessly across the room. He had enough strength to brush his teeth before he carefully flopped into the bed, trying not to wake Ziva.

He turned to see if he had disturbed her and sighed contentedly when he realized he had not. Feeling even more daring, he leaned over to kiss her cheek before extending his arm around her. That was when he knew he had awoken her.

"Good morning." She mumbled.

"Go back to sleep." Tony whispered in her ear.

"I intend to. Just have not seen you much."

"Well, ya know, trying to save the world." He said, his usually comedic tone not lost in his need for rest.

"Yes, I know." She replied before nuzzling into him even more. "Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

Tony awoke to an empty bed; something that immediately caught his attention. He opened his eyes and was met with the sight of his alarm clock, which informed him in bright, red flashing numbers that the time was 9:36.

At this, he jumped out of bed.

"Ziva!" he exclaimed.

There was no reply.

"Ziva!" Suddenly, he heard the click of the apartment door, and upon further examination, he saw that Ziva had just returned from her morning run, Bogie on his leash, panting beside her.

"Tony, I heard you screaming from across the hall. What's wrong?" she asked, taking off her windbreaker and folding it over the living room couch.

"It's almost ten. I'm late for work. Why didn't you wake me?" he demanded frantically. "Gibbs is gonna kill me."

"Gibbs called this morning." Ziva informed him calmly, a drastic difference to her boyfriend's current demeanor. "He said you did not have to come into work today unless you get a case because of how much you worked yesterday and Sunday." She could see him visibly calm down at the news. "It seems I have you all to myself today." She said teasingly.

He knew she was teasing him, too, but he still took the bait and gave her his ridiculous grin, advancing towards her with a special gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, not right now, Tony. I had a very exhausting work out." She was still teasing him, and he was not going to let her get away so easily. She didn't want him to let her go.

"Right." He said suspiciously before devouring her lips.

She let him take control. It seemed they took turns, and neither one of them ever enjoyed it any less. She let him lead her back to their bedroom, closing the door behind them, so as not to be disturbed by Bogie, who waited patiently in the living room for his masters.

* * *

"I appreciate your concern, and I can't wait to see you then. Hopefully, by then, the entire situation will be dealt with."

Tony overheard Ziva talking on the phone. He caught her eye, and silently asked her who she was talking to.

"I love you, too. Talk to you soon." Ziva said before hanging up her cell phone.

"Who was that?" Tony asked.

"That was your father. It is official. He will be staying with us for Christmas, from the evening of the 22nd to the afternoon of the 27th. He was just calling to give me his itinerary." She told him.

"Dad's gonna stay for five days?"

"Well, almost five days." Ziva said before she took her place on the couch, and Tony followed suit. Ziva clapped her hands and whistled. "Come on, Bogie." She called to him, trying to get him to jump into her lap.

"Whoa, Ziva." Tony stopped her. "He can't get on the couch."

"Why not, Tony?"

"Because he sheds and he stinks, and he follows you around with his tongue hanging out." He explained.

"So do you." Ziva returned playfully.

Tony smiled. "That may be true, but I am still a human being. Bogie is a dog. A dog that cannot get on this couch." He tried to make his point.

"Fine." Ziva said before defiantly giving up her seat on the couch to pull up a chair from the kitchen table, which she placed beside the couch, sat on it, and took Bogie with her.

"Really, Ziva? You're gonna throw a little tantrum until I say Bogie can be on the couch, too?"

Ziva loved that dog so much. She was petting the top of his head and scratching his back, cooing over him as if he were a baby.

Speaking of babies, "Breena ever call you to tell you what day would be good for them?" Tony asked. The two of them were trying to organize a dinner for them and Breena and Jimmy. This would also include the company of Elizabeth, of course.

"Breena said she was not too sure about taking Elizabeth outside in the cold weather. It has been a really cold December so far. She wanted to know if we could come over to their house Friday night and maybe bring a few things like a popluck, I think she called it."

"_Potluck._" Tony corrected. "And, yeah, that sounds great."

"Then I will call Breena in a minute. Have you decided to let Bogie on the couch yet?"

"No." he stated simply.

"Alright." She picked up the dog in her arms. "Come on, Bogie, let's go call Breena." She told him, and he barked in reply. "That's a good boy."

Tony sighed as Ziva left the living room. He was jealous of a puppy. "You know, I'm a good boy, too!" he called to her.

Ziva laughed.

"I am."

* * *

By four in the afternoon, Ziva decided to start cooking dinner. She was at the countertop, measuring flour for the mashed potatoes when Tony came into the room, and he began dropping hot kisses to her neck.

"Tony, I am making dinner."

"Well, you know we can make some other things right now." He told her seductively.

"You are unusually horny today." She noticed.

"Well, I missed you." He told her.

"You are also very energetic today. We've already had three rounds of sex, and you are still up for more. I guess I am not satisfying you as much as I thought I was." She wasn't really hurt by it. Tony was a sex-crazed machine, but he was still a man, and they were making up for all the time she had been in the hospital, and she knew she still satisfied him.

"It's not that." He said, trying to defend himself.

"Tony, I know. Believe me, I missed it, too, and I missed you. Right now, I am cooking dinner, and it is only four. I still have plenty of time to tire you out." She assured him.

"And I look forward to it. Anything I can do to help with dinner?" he asked.

"Can you turn the stove burner on to medium heat? I need to start the gravy."

"You're making gravy with the mashed potatoes?" Tony asked excitedly.

"Yes, but only because you like it. I do not understand how you can eat it. I think it just takes all of the flavor out of the potatoes."

"What flavor? Gravy adds the flavor."

"Your potatoes, your preferences. Just keep the gravy off my plate." She said as she moved over to the bowl of potatoes that had not been mashed yet.

"Are you mashing them by hand?" he asked her.

"Yes."

"Isn't that a lot of work? Can't you just get the same result from the box?"

"I like cooking, Tony, and it is not the same from the box. Can you get the tilapia out of the fridge? It should be on the middle shelf."

Tony handed her the packaged fish, and she started preheating it in the microwave. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he blurted out, "Let's go dancing."

Ziva looked at him incredulously. "You want to go dancing?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Let's have dinner, and then we can go to some fancy club for a couple of hours. It'll be fun. You and me on a real, formal date. We haven't been on one of those in a while, and besides, you love dancing." He tried to reason.

"And you don't." she returned.

"I love dancing with you."

"Your favorite is the horizontal tango. Am I right?" they both smiled.

"I'm serious, Ziva. I know it's a school night, but come on. Just for a couple hours. Let's go dancing."

Ziva couldn't say no when he was so excited over it. She did love dancing, and she could see how much he wanted to take her out on a date. That much was visible in his eyes, so she told him that dancing sounded like a great idea, and he kissed her softly.

They ate dinner, and Ziva put up the leftovers before going to take a shower to mark the start of her preparing for the date. Tony fed Bogie and watched a little television until the bathroom was free because he knew she would be upset if she caught him sneaking a peek at what she was going to wear. She would still be mad even if he had seen her wear the dress a thousand times and they had been married for over ten years.

By the time Ziva had decided on a dress to wear, she was just as excited as Tony was. She no longer felt exhausted. When she put on the spaghetti-strapped black, cocktail dress, her smile was beaming. She curled her hair and applied a light amount of make-up.

It hadn't taken Tony long to get on his black suit. The shirt was already pressed, thanks to Ziva, and the jacket had been handing in the closet for a couple of days. He didn't wear that specific suit too often to work.

Ziva emerged from the bedroom about ten minutes later, waiting to see Tony's reaction. She knew he had seen the dress hanging in the closet, as well, but he had never seen it on her.

"How do I look?" Ziva asked quietly as Tony's eyes examined her up and down.

"Cold, but beautiful." He replied. "Seriously, do you have a jacket or something?"

"No."

Tony figured she was trying to get sick and mentally added a note to get Ziva a new jacket for Hanukkah/Christmas. "Well, then, it's a good thing I have one." He said, removing his suit jacket from his body and wrapping Ziva's shoulders in his warmth.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"No problem." He said before leaning down to kiss her lips.

They arrived at a club that was very similar to the one in Berlin, but it was just a little higher scale than that.

"Do you want a drink?" Tony asked her.

"No, thank you."

"Okay, well I'm gonna get one, and then the fun shall begin." He declared.

"And when we get home, the fun will begin again and go on and on and on until you cannot take anymore, and you are literally begging me to have mercy." She said innocently before patting his cheek and then kissing it. "Now, go get your drink."

The two of them danced for two hours and twenty minutes, time completely slipping away from them, as they were just lost in each other. They enjoyed every dance, every drink, every kiss, every touch. All of it was perfect, and not once did they have to think that the two of them together like this would be over in less than two weeks.

Tony and Ziva arrived back at the apartment around nine, which meant they had a good amount of time for Tony's favorite dance. After another two hours of discarded clothes, comfortable sheets, and being lost in each other, they bid their goodnights, stretched out their final kisses for the night, and drifted to sleep in each other's arms, knowing not to take the day for granted.

After all, it might be a while before the perfection of their special day together returned.

* * *

**I thought you guys deserved a full tiva chapter. I hope you liked it! Part 3 should end up being longer than Part 2, and I am so thankful for all of you who have made it this far and who love my story. It really means so much!**

**I can't believe I'm already in Part 3, so I hope you like the first chapter, and I will try to get the second one to you as soon as I can. **

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


	40. Winter Tears, Chapter 2

**Part 3**

**Winter Tears**

**Chapter 3**

"Hey, Tiger Toes!" Tony called to Ziva, returning home from work. Ziva was right where he thought she'd be, standing in the kitchen making an amazing dinner. Bogie, loyal as ever, was by her side. He watched from the doorway to the kitchen as Ziva dropped the dog a small piece of chicken. "Hey, that's my dinner!" he objected.

Ziva turned to him at last and smiled. "We can spare some."

"Ugh, no we can't." He walked up to her to give her a proper kiss.

"Mmmm. Wait. Did you change you cologne?" she asked, sniffing around his neck and pulling away in disgust.

"The mall had free samples." He told her as she handed him the eggs to put back into the fridge. He smelled his collar again. "I don't think it smells that bad."

"Change it back." she ordered gently.

"And if I refuse?" he wondered.

"Then I will give all your food to Bogie, and he will be sleeping in the bed with me, and you will be sleeping on the floor." She threatened slowly and softly.

Tony knew it was an empty threat, but he still promised her he would change back to his original cologne. Ziva sprayed the kitchen with air freshener to show just how much she hated the scent. "What were you doing at the mall anyways?"

"Would you believe a marine was stabbed to death in the dressing room?" Tony asked her as he stood beside her and began packing the dishes in the dishwasher, even though he knew Ziva preferred to do them by hand.

"I would."

"Then you would be quite naïve, Miss David, because it was a navy chaplain."

"How long were you there?"

"Long enough to talk to McGee, and get this, he and Delilah are moving in together."

Ziva's head snapped up and she stared at Tony as if he had two heads before she handed him the mixing bowl she had been using. "McGee told you this?" she asked.

"The poor kid had this scared look on his face. Delilah proposed the idea, and he wanted my advice on whether or not it was too soon for them to move in together."

"Hold on a second. McGee asked for your advice?"

"Why is that so hard to believe? In my opinion, I have a very successful relationship."

"Well, you do. We are living together, and we have been dating for the same amount of time as McGee and Delilah." Ziva reminded him.

"Yeah, well we have eight years of history. Personally, I don't think they're rushing things. They seem happy. If they break up, they're adults. They'll handle things maturely. At least I know Delilah will."

"I still have not met her."

"Yeah, she knows. McGee says they want to do a double date on Saturday the 14th, which by the way, is our seven-month anniversary. They want to go out to celebrate moving in together because they'll have everything finished by then."

"It is only taking them a little over a week. How long did it take us?"

"A while." He said vaguely.

"So I guess the dinner will be in celebration of our anniversary as well?" she asked playfully.

"You keep track, too. You do care." He said before kissing her until Bogie started barking to interrupt them.

"The dog stopped by the dog." Ziva said while chuckling. She handed him the pot that had been cooling on the stove. "You need to wash that one by hand. It will not clean well in the dishwasher." She instructed.

Tony examined the pot. "What was in here? Tomato sauce?"

"Yes. It will be topped over the breaded chicken pasta."

"Where did you learn to cook like this? You have all these home-made meals from scratch that are the most delicious things I've ever tasted. Who do I have to thank for that?" he asked because he was definitely spoiled with all of Ziva's different meals.

"A variety of people, I guess, and remember I stayed in Paris for a while. I expanded my cooking skills there. I spent a little bit of time in Rome and Madrid. Not to mention my father liked to cook." She explained.

The last statement threw Tony off a bit. "Wait a second. You're telling me that the tough, intimidating Mossad Director, Eli David, liked to cook?" he questioned.

"Yes. He used to cook gourmet meals for my mother. He was a very good cook." Ziva took a short moment of silence as she basked in the memory of her father.

"Would have never guessed." Tony said, which drew a soft smile from Ziva, before changing the subject. "So, what are we bringing to Breena and Jimmy's tomorrow?"

"Well, they said we only need to bring a side dish, so I was thinking we could bring garlic bread and cheesecake for desert. What do you think?"

"What kind of cheesecake?"

"Triple chocolate truffle."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Tony came home the following day around 5:15. They were supposed to arrive at the Palmer house in about an hour and a half. He walked in the kitchen as he had done the previous day, expecting Ziva to be there, but she was not.

He did find her in the bedroom, sitting on the bed with her laptop in her lap, her eyes glued to the screen.

However, she did look up and smile when she sensed his presence. "Hi." She said softly, trying to get all evidence of frustration out of her voice.

"Whatcha working on?" he asked her, slipping off his shoes and moving them to right inside the closet because he knew Ziva would get after him otherwise.

"I'm trying to get a list of possible jobs I could do."

"Ziva, don't worry about that." Tony told her.

"I am not worrying," she assured him. "Yet." She added.

"Well, have you found anything?"

"I can still be a teacher, a martial arts instructor, which I'm not so sure about. I'm trying to let go of the violence and so on. I have been looking into possibly becoming a yoga instructor, and I am seriously considering enrolling myself in online classes to further my education." She said, referring to a loose leaf sheet of paper with notes she had taken from each website. "I could also be a dance teacher. Who knows? Maybe even a cook."

"I thought you only cooked for me." He said playfully, acting like a brokenhearted child, trying to alleviate some of the stress that was oozing off her body.

"I cook with love for you, but let's be serious, Tony. What do you think about me furthering my education now that I have the chance?" she asked him.

Tony sighed and took a seat beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in the process. "If that's what you want to do, then do it, Ziva. I'm not gonna hold you back. I think it's great, and I'm really proud of you. Do what you want to do."

Ziva kissed his lips for the first time since he left for work that morning. "I want to take a couple classes. Only a couple."

"Okay."

"And I will specifically look into yoga or dance instructor."

"Okay."

"And I will start the garlic bread for dinner tonight. The cheesecake is already in the refrigerator, and no, you cannot have any yet."

"Okay."

"Stop saying okay."

"Okay."

Tony was about to leave the room to get some water when something caught his attention. Hanging beside the mirror in the bedroom, was a huge calendar with tropical islands for each month. Somehow, this small act of personalize made him smile and made the home feel even more homely, even though he didn't view it as their permanent home.

"What's this?" he asked.

Ziva briefly looked up to see what he was referring to. "Oh, I figured we needed one. We are busier than we used to be, and I realized I cannot remember everything, so as part of my workout today, I ran over to the store with Bogie and bought one. Since it is December, I bought one for 2014 as well. That one has animals on it."

Tony looked at the date to make sure they were all correct, and he wanted to make sure he was aware of all of them.

_December 6, 6:45-Dinner with Breena and Jimmy at their home_

_December 7, 11:00-Bowling with Abby at the Marlow Heights Lanes_

_December 9, 1:00-Visit Amber at the hospital_

_December 14, 7:00-Dinner with McGee and Delilah at Notre Romance_

"Hey, we're going to Notre Romance?" Tony asked.

"Yes."

"That's where I first took you for dinner." He remembered.

"I know, Tony."

"You gonna wear the same dress?" he wondered, imagining the dress in his mind.

"You never know."

_December 16, 3:30-Check Back into the Hospital_

_December 20-Tony's semi-annual performance review_

_December 22, 5:30, Senior's flight arrives_

_December 27, 2:10, Senior's flight takes off_

"We are getting busy, aren't we?"

"Yes."

"I don't have to prepare for that performance review thing, right?"

"With all of the ones you have already had, you still need to ask that question?"

"Can I add stuff to this thing?"

"It is _our _calendar, Tony. Feel free to add whatever." She told him, knowing that he would eventually appreciate it, but she would be the one in main control over it. He knew it, too.

Tony took the pen and added something to the calendar. Ziva didn't even bother to check what it was until she had shut down her computer was getting ready to exit the room. Tony already had to go to the kitchen. Looking at the calendar, she found another even on December 14th.

_HAPPY 7 MONTH ANNIVERSARY, SWEETCHEEKS!_

She smiled, knowing they both thought the idea of month anniversaries was ridiculous, but he still liked to playfully remind her about them.

* * *

Tony and Ziva arrived at the Palmer house right on schedule. They had never been to their house before, but once they arrived, it was no doubt that the house in question was their house. The most identifying characteristic was the sound of Baby Elizabeth screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing throughout the property.

Jimmy answered the door and gave Ziva a small hug and a kiss on the cheek, greeting Tony with a handshake. Breena was struggling to get Elizabeth to stop crying, and Ziva immediately handed the food to Jimmy and walked over to Breena to greet and assist her.

Between the efforts of Breena and Ziva, the two were finally able to calm down Elizabeth, and Breena was thankful for a break as Ziva held the small child in her arms. The two couples were able to sit down and enjoy themselves, engrossed in conversation and the food. Breena's main course of chicken parmesan had been delicious, and it went well with the garlic bread Ziva had made.

Tony noticed that his eyes kept darting to Ziva and Elizabeth. He had seen her briefly with Mike Franks's granddaughter, Amira. Of course he had seen her with Kayla and Jared, but this was the first infant he had the privilege of witnessing her with.

She held the baby naturally, as if she had done it a million times before. She knew exactly how to balance Elizabeth in her lap as she fed the baby and herself, and Ziva effortlessly placed her over her shoulder to burp her. This did not go unnoticed by Jimmy or Breena, either.

"You're so good with her." Breena commented.

"Thank you." Ziva replied modestly.

"She has the magic touch." Tony joked before catching Ziva's eye. They both looked at each other with a smile before looking back to their hosts.

"I'm sure working with the kids at the school sure helped, too." Jimmy added.

"It did." Ziva said before stroking the small amount of Elizabeth's hair. Honestly, the little girl the Palmers had adopted looked like she could be Ziva's daughter. They both had dark eyes and dark hair, even though the wig was not as dark as her natural hair. They even had a similar facial structure, but of course, there was no relation, and Breena and Jimmy would always be Mommy and Daddy.

The four of them had a lot of fun in each other's company.

"We have to do this more often." Breena said before giving Ziva a hug.

"We do." She agreed. "Thanks again for having us."

"Oh, thank you for coming."

They finished saying their goodbyes, and Tony found himself reliving the moments he had memorized of Ziva and Elizabeth, as he drove home, one of his hands in hers along the way.

"You are awfully quiet." Ziva noticed as she unlocked the apartment door. "Should I be concerned?"

"I've just been thinking."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked him, taking off her jacket and pinning up her hair for bed. She still wasn't comfortable with Tony seeing her bald, even though her hair had started to grow back, so she slept with the wig on at night.

"Not tonight." He returned, knowing that it was a conversation for another night.

"Alright." She said, not thinking too much about it before kissing him. "I will probably read another chapter of my book out here before I go to bed. I will be there soon. Good night."

"Goodnight."

* * *

**Hey, Guys! I only made you wait a day this time! Thank you for your amazing reviews! You guys are the best, and it is so emotionally moving to know how loyal you are to this story and how patiently you wait for the next update. **

**Thanks to everyone for being so sweet throughout all of this. I would also like to thank my friend. I'm gonna call her FiberOne Bar for now. She knows who she is. **

**Also, I would like to formally dedicate this part to Ana Marie (1997-2013).**

**Love you all!  
Serena **


	41. Winter Tears, Chapter 3

**Part 3**

**Winter Tears**

**Chapter 3**

Tony woke up to his alarm clock that Saturday morning. Obviously, he had forgotten to turn it off the night before. He kept his phone on vibrate because the team was on call for the weekend.

Tony turned to his side and found Ziva sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed, her wig pinned up in a scarf. Her book lay on the nightstand beside her, almost finished, of course. He had already been asleep when she came to bed after reading her "chapter". It ended up being eight chapters.

Tony looked at the time, which read 6:46 and decided he should probably try and get some more sleep before waking Ziva up. He tried to get comfortable, but he couldn't, so he turned and spooned Ziva against him, her back to his chest. That was definitely more comfortable, and he was able to go back to sleep. After all, he needed his strength after promising to help McGee move Delilah's furniture into his apartment.

Ziva woke up an hour later to the sound of Tony snoring directly in her ear. However, he covered her like a blanket, which she was thankful for in the December cold. She smiled before lightly trying to wake him up.

"Tony. Tony."

Tony's eyes opened slowly as he tried to register his surroundings. He could pinpoint an angelic voice, which he instantly realized was Ziva, and while looking at where he was, he noticed that he was currently suffocating his girlfriend. He reluctantly removed himself from her, and she kissed his cheek before turning on the lamp on top of her nightstand.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Ziva asked him.

"Don't worry about breakfast. I'll make it. I'll brink you breakfast in bed. I'll make those crepes you like, and I'll even feed Bogie."

"I appreciate it, Tony, but really.."

"No buts. No arguing. No leaving this bed. I will make you breakfast, and I will serve you, and I won't hear anything else." He leaned over to give her a proper good morning kiss. Her lips were still soft, but he knew his were chapped. She didn't seem to mind because she pulled him in for a second kiss and a third.

Ziva sighed contentedly. She knew most women would never object to a man cooking for them and bringing breakfast in bed, but she always had a hard time staying still when others were working. She could hear Tony fiddling in the kitchen, trying to remember exactly which pans were kept where and the location of the measuring cups. He dropped quite a few objects, and he seemed very annoyed with Bogie following him around. Eventually, Bogie came to sit on Ziva's feet in the bed as she continued reading her book.

Tony did make her strawberry crepes, just the way she liked them. They were done well, with only a few errors, but she quickly overlooked them. She knew she would have a huge mess to clean up in the kitchen when he went to go help McGee, but because of the sweet gesture, he was forgiven.

"So, how did I do? How were they?" he asked.

Ziva hummed in appreciation. "They were delicious." She told him and kissed him softly. He licked all the strawberry off her lips. "Did you have any?"

"I'm not really hungry."

"You are not hungry?" she asked in disbelief.

"Okay. I wanted to make sure if they were terrible, you would be the first to taste one, and I have cereal and bagels. I'll be fine, Ziva." He assured her, and they both knew the first part of that statement wasn't true.

"Whatever you say." Ziva said sarcastically. "What time did McGee say you should meet him there?"

"Looking to get rid of me?"

"We are somewhat stuck to each other now." She joked.

"About ten-thirty."

"When will you be back?" Ziva wondered.

"Probably three, maybe four. You have anything planned to do while I'm gone?"

"I think I will just stay here and have some solitude, maybe finish my book, look more into the online classes, and I promise not to stress myself out."

"Good." Tony said before kissing her forehead.

"And you better not throw your back out." She instructed him. "And you better not be too tired when you come home." She added. "I want to be able to do that myself."

"You got it."

Ziva looked at the clock beside her to find that she still had a couple of hours before Tony was expected to help McGee. She had the perfect idea, and the smirk on her face showed it.

"What?" he asked.

"I have an idea."

"And it is?"

"Let's watch a movie." She suggested.

The smile on Tony's face was so bright and genuine, and he just couldn't contain his happiness. He held out his hand to her, which she gladly accepted, and he dragged her to the living room sofa where the flat screen television was in perfect view. He sat her down on the couch and handed her the remote. "You get to pick the movie." He told her.

"I want you to choose." She told him.

He smirked. "That's a choice that you will later regret." he said as he grabbed _Fight Club _from their DVD shelf. It took him a minute to find it since he was still getting used to the setup, and his DVDs now had to share some of the shelves with Ziva's books, not that he minded.

"This is that movie you were telling me about, isn't it?" she asked.

"Several times, Ziva." He reminded her once he popped the movie into the DVD player and took his seat beside Ziva on the couch, his arm resting around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Ziva enjoyed the movie more than she thought she would. However, Tony did need to help keep her awake at some points when the story line was a little boring. Tony had to leave almost as soon as the movie was over, and before he left, he kissed Ziva and turned to Bogie, who was sitting by the door.

"Now, you look after Ziva for me, okay?" he asked the dog. Bogie just sat still, not even acknowledging that Tony was talking to him. "That's right. You only listen to Ziva. She's your master. Well, you have to look after her while I'm gone." This time, Bogie barked. "Good boy." Tony said before he pet the dog really quickly.

"Bye, Ziva!" he called just as he was about to leave.

"Hurry back." She told him, and he just smiled in reply before leaving.

* * *

Thankfully, Delilah did not have much heavy furniture that had to be moved. She helped out with most of the boxes, but chairs and her mahogany table were left to Tony and McGee. However, it was a good chance for them to talk outside of work. They were both now so eager to leave the bullpen. They loved their job, but they loved their girlfriends more.

"You sure you don't think we're rushing things?" McGee asked him.

"Tim, if you have any doubts, then why are you doing this?"

"Oh, you're telling me that you didn't have any doubts when you moved into Ziva's place?" he challenged.

"No." Tony replied.

"And I don't doubt how much I care about Delilah. I'm just a little nervous. I've never done this before." He confessed.

"Neither had I." Tony told him, revealing a detail about himself that McGee didn't know.

McGee looked at him with astonishment. "You never moved in with Wendy?" he asked.

"Nope. Ziva's the first. Hopefully, the last."

This also caught McGee's attention. "Wait a second. That's not an out-of-the-blue, slipped-out-of-my-mouth declaration, Tony. Are you already thinking of marrying Ziva?" he asked seriously.

Tony hesitated. "I'm not exactly imagining in her in a wedding dress."

"But you're imagining something."

"Fine. A nice house. A cool mailbox with flowers Ziva planted around it. A couple of kids. I'm planning a life with her, McGee, and the problem is that right now all of that is only in my head. I want it, and I'm pretty sure Ziva wants it, too, but I can't do anything about it because it's not the right freaking time." Tony vented, finally speaking without censor as the thoughts just erupted from his mouth.

"Sounds frustrating."

"It is, and in nine days, she has to go back to the hospital, and I'm back to the daily visits with take-out food, watching her get weaker and weaker."

They both were silent for a minute. Tony wasn't exactly looking for support or a reply, and McGee was at a loss for words on how to respond. McGee simply listening to him was enough for Tony.

With a sigh, he continued, "How about you? You imagining that yet?"

"It's definitely too early for that for us. Are we still on for a double date next week?"

"You bet."

"And, Tony," McGee called.

Tony turned around upon hearing his name.

"I'm sorry." McGee was sorry that Tony had to go through all of this, and that Ziva had to go through all of this. He only hoped that this was the last major obstacle the two would have to get over. They had already been through enough.

Tony nodded before responding. "Thanks, Tim."

"And thank you for helping with the furniture."

"No problem."

"Give Ziva a hug for me."

"Will do."

* * *

Tony had a smile on his face as he came back to the apartment, thinking about what Ziva had planned for him. Unfortunately, when he opened the door, he heard the sound of someone crying, and it wasn't even Ziva. The cries were coming from the bedroom. "Ziva!" he called.

"Hold on! I will be right there!" Ziva emerged from the bedroom a few seconds later, a smile on her face when she saw him standing at the entrance of the apartment.

"Who's here? Who's crying?"

"Kayla called me shortly after you left. Her boyfriend, Justin, broke up with her, and Leon had absolutely no idea on how to handle it. She's been here for the past few hours, and I am trying to cheer her up. She's going through the grief phase right now."

Tony nodded in understanding. He wondered how many hearts he broke back in high school. "How long were they together?"

"About a month, and he was her first boyfriend, her first date, and he took her to homecoming dance, so he is in all the pictures."

"Should I leave?" Tony asked, not really wanting to get caught up in the drama and not wanting to see a fifteen-year-old girl cry over her boyfriend.

"You can go if you want, but I think you might be able to offer an interesting perspective on how stupid guys are." She said before giving him a proper kiss, realizing she had not done so when he first arrived.

"Is this like a man-hater conference or something?"

"Oh, absolutely. Abby's on her way as soon as she finishes processing some evidence from a different case."

"I am so glad I'm not her right now."

Suddenly, Kayla came out of the bedroom, all puffy eyed. She waved at Tony, who waved back. "Can I have some water, Ziva?" she asked.

Ziva nodded. "Of course. Do you want anything else?"

Kayla shook her head, and Ziva left to get some water, leaving Kayla and Tony alone in the living room.

"I heard about Justin the Jerk." Tony said, trying to make conversation. When Kayla didn't reply, Tony thought of something else. "Was he a jock?"

Kayla nodded. "Basketball."

"There it is. Kayla, basketball jocks are the worst. I know because I was one. They think they're gonna make it to the NBA and that they can just string along all the girls while they do. Was he in your grade?"

"Two years above."

"Yup. I'm sorry it happened, but really, those guys are no good. Honestly, almost all high school guys are no good." Tony emphasized.

"Ziva said there are some good ones."

"Yeah, well Ziva has been exposed to me, the most amazing guy on this earth, so she now believes that there is a good guy in everyone."

Kayla laughed.

"What?" Tony asked.

"You and Ziva just have different ways of saying things."

"Definitely. All I'm trying to say is Justin is the one to feel sorry for here. He's got his head in the clouds, and he broke up with you after one month. He didn't even get a lot of time to get to know you, and some guys are like that, but hey, Christmas is coming up. Does your school do like a Winter Dance or something?"

"Yeah. It's in a few weeks."

"By then, you'll have who knows how many guys asking you out, which makes me so glad that I'm not your father."

Kayla laughed again.

Ziva came back with Kayla's water. "Ooh, laughing." She said. "I love that sound."

Kayla immediately walked over to Ziva and thanked her for the water. Ziva put her arm around Kayla's shoulders, and the teenager rested her head on Ziva's shoulder, much like he had seen Abby and Ziva before. Apparently it was a friendly thing that girls did.

"I'm not so sad anymore."

"That's good because now we can move onto stage two."

"Which is?" Ziva asked.

"Ice cream."

Abby knocked on the door a minute later and rushed over to hug Kayla and Ziva before returning to Tony, who had let her in the apartment in the first place.

"Abby, just in time for ice cream." Tony said to her.

Abby smiled and followed the other two into the kitchen as they ate chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream straight from the container. Tony settled on the living room couch, letting the women enjoy themselves.

"Tony, you're welcome to join us!" Ziva called to him, and this was followed by statements of agreement from Kayla and Abby.

"I think I'll let you three talk." Tony decided, looking for some football game highlights on the cable guide.

The three of them talked for about another hour before Abby offered to drive Kayla home, which Ziva greatly appreciated. Kayla and Abby gave Tony and Ziva both a hug goodbye, and Abby made sure that Ziva would still join her for bowling the following day.

Once they left, Ziva apologized to Tony for not telling him what he was coming home to, and he told her not to worry about it. He followed her into the kitchen when she said she was going to start dinner.

"Did you see that I made Kayla smile today?" he asked.

"You must be very proud of yourself."

"I am, actually."

"I remember when you told me that you did not like children." She said to him as she gathered the carrots from the fridge.

"When did I say that?"

"A couple years ago." She told him, and he tried to remember when he said that.

"You know that's not true, right?"

"Of course, Tony. And how could it be true when you are so good with children. I saw you make Kayla laugh, and I saw how wonderful you were with Jared, and how comfortable Elizabeth looked in your arms."

"When did we get so many kids?" Tony asked.

"We do not have them, Tony. We have to give them back at the end of the day." She reminded him, hoping this conversation was not going where she thought it was going.

"But we make a good team, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

"And I know that it's not the ideal time, but we both know that we both want this. Is it too early to start talking about this?" he asked her seriously, pulling her away from the task she was currently performing.

"I don't want to talk about this right now. You are right. It is not the ideal time. I will be in the hospital in one week, and after the next treatment of the drug, I do not even know if I will be able to have children. We cannot talk about this right now. Let's just enjoy each other."

"Will there ever be a right time?" he wondered, his hands gripping her forearms, his eyes staring intently into hers.

"We will know, and it is not right now. Right now it is just you and me."

"And I love it. Don't think that I'm not satisfied."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I want to confirm that you want it."

"Yes, but now is not the time to talk about it, and right now, can we just forget that we did talk about it a little?" she asked him.

Tony nodded in reply, but he had a feeling that this conversation would be preying on his mind for a while. He thought about this for a minute before turning to Ziva and kissing her neck. "So, what are you making tonight, Yummers?" he asked as if the previous conversation had not even taken place.

"Chicken soup with vegetables. You need to eat healthier."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Interpret that any way you want." She said lightly, turning around to kiss him before returning to her task of adding chicken breast pieces to the broth.

* * *

**Part 3, Chapter 3 is up already! And we got the first tears of this part in the series. I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope I am still able to please you with this story. Thanks to each and every one of you. I really appreciate all the reviews and favorites and views. It means so much to me. **

**Please tell me what you thought about this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you liked writing it. Now, I am off to do my math homework. **

**Love you all!  
Serena **


	42. Winter Tears, Chapter 4

**Part 3**

**Winter Tears**

**Chapter 4**

That Thursday, Tony found himself at work, desperately trying to get home to Ziva. Things were different for him ever since he started dating Ziva, and Gibbs either didn't understand that or chose to ignore it.

He hadn't exactly told Gibbs about his thoughts on the whole balancing work with family, because after all, Ziva had been a part of both for so many years, and the changes were effecting the whole team, much to Gibbs's dismay.

Tony didn't want to go as far as saying that Gibbs was jealous. That seemed a little harsh, but at some points he could sense a little resentment towards himself and McGee, but mainly towards himself, and he didn't exactly know what warranted this.

He also realized that he wasn't scared of possibly having this conversation with Gibbs. He was no longer intimidated by him as he had been when he first started at NCIS.

When Gibbs finally did allow him to go home at seven that night, he discussed his feelings with Ziva while lying in bed, just enjoying each other.

"Maybe I'm just reading him wrong." Tony thought. "That does tend to happen."

Ziva sighed, another idea coming to mind. "Or maybe you are ready to move on."

This hadn't exactly registered with Tony yet. He hadn't even thought about it. Well, of course he had thought about it in the past, but right now, he felt stable and peaceful with where he was in life. Hope for the future. Amazing girlfriend, who happened to be fighting cancer. He had a lot on his plate that didn't involve work.

"Maybe not that yet, but Gibbs is just started to get on my nerves."

"How, Tony?" Ziva wondered.

"Like whenever I'm talking to you at work, he gives me this stare, like he wants to kill me, and he always seems to know when I'm answering a text message from you. He hates it when I ask him if I can go home yet. Just because he doesn't have someone to come home to at night, doesn't mean he should stop me from being able to."

"Tony." Ziva admonished. "That is taking things a little too far."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't have a lot of time until you go back to the hospital, and I like my work because it makes me feel important and accomplished, but all I want now is to come home. He doesn't understand that."

"Have you even talked to him about how you are feeling, Tony?" she wondered.

"No."

"Maybe you should." She advised, drawing irregular patterns on his chest. "You never know what could come out of it."

"If something else happens like that again, then I'll talk to him about it."

"Good." Ziva said, resting her head on his shoulder and outlining his fingers with her own.

"Do _you _think I should move on?" Tony asked her after a moment's silence, her simple statement preying on his mind. He could feel her tense up a little when he asked.

"I did not say that." She told him.

"You kinda did, Ziva." He reminded her.

"You are a very capable agent, and one of the things I love about you is that you still respect Gibbs's authority, and you follow his orders. You are loyal, but you are also very talented yourself."

"You said _still _like it's a bad thing." Tony noticed, taking his hand from Ziva's and propping himself up in bed a little bit.

"I did not mean it like that."

"You think Gibbs is holding me back? Is that it?" he asked her.

"No, Tony. That is not it at all. The team is our family, and I understand your reasons for staying. Gibbs depends on you, and McGee looks up to you. They all love you. You have been ready for a promotion for years, and you have turned them down in the past. You just seem a little worn out from spending so much time playing by Gibbs's rules." She explained.

"Maybe it's just a little cabin fever." Tony suggested, mostly as a joke.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had gone back to work at NCIS. If I had decided that I still wanted to be your partner and work with the team." Ziva elaborated.

Tony was confused for a minute. "What are you talking about? It would be fine."

"I am just relieved that I did not have to put you in the position between abiding by Gibbs's rules and being with me."

Tony understood now, and he wished that he didn't. He could feel his blood begin to boil, and he kept trying to calm himself down and control his temper. He was not about to take his anger out on Ziva. "You don't think I would have fought for you?" he asked her.

"I did not want to put you in the position to choose." She said calmly.

"You thought I would have chosen Gibbs over you?"

"I did not know. That is what scared me. I knew Gibbs would have been angry if we were partners on the job and off. Not to mention, that night when Gibbs came home and we all had dinner, do you remember that?" she asked him, her tone growing softer and softer, but no less scary.

"Yeah. That was the dinner you wore the pink dress."

Ziva had to fight the smile to prove the point. "Do you remember when you told Gibbs that we were a couple? You placed our intertwined hands on the table for him to see, and you said, 'Since we are no longer working together, there is no rule twelve'. What would you have said if we were working together?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he asked with one of his own. "Did you stop working at NCIS because we were together? Did you give up a career that you had been working on for eight years because you didn't want me to make that choice?"

"It was part of it." She answered, and she could see the guilt in his eyes. "One of us had to leave, and I knew it wouldn't be you."

"But that wasn't the only reason?"

"Of course it was not the only reason, Tony. I had a new job that I really liked, one with a steady paycheck and manageable work hours." She reminded him, but there were still a few things that did not sit well with him.

"But you didn't think I would stand up for you? For us?"

"You are loyal to Gibbs." She whispered.

That was it for Tony. He was angry. He was hurt, and he wasn't hiding it anymore. "Come on, Ziva. In our relationship, past and present, haven't I proven how much I love you? How much you mean to me? What do I have to do to make you realize that you are the most important thing to me?"

"Tony, calm down."

"Do I have to go halfway across the world to save your life? Do I have to memorize every detail that I can about you? Hold on to every memory? Do I have to be prepared to go anywhere with you just to track down your father's killer? Move in with you? Want a future with you? Sit by your side while you're in the hospital because I did all of that!"

"Yes, you did." She agreed calmly while he was still on his rampage.

"I love you!" he nearly screamed. "More than anything else in the world. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and it's supposed to be a happy thing to say, but right now I'm saying it to show you up."

"Tony, I-"

He cut her off. "You are the most important thing to me, and nothing can get in the way of that. Not Gibbs's rules. Not work. Not cancer. Nothing. Does that clear everything up? Are you left with anymore doubts or insecurities, because I think I've made myself pretty clear?" his voice was quieter, but no less stern and intimidating.

Ziva had not meant for this conversation to go where it had, and she knew better than to try to reason with him when he was this outraged. She had to fight her own temper, and she tried to neutralize his current fire with her tranquility.

She knew Tony was prepared to do so much for her, but she always wondered how he would react in a situation where he had to defy Gibbs. Well, now she had her answer.

"Tony, I am sorry." She tried to say, but he held up his hand.

"I don't want to hear it. Not right now." He told her, pulling the bedspread from the top of his body, allowing himself to get out of bed.

"Tony, please stay." She begged.

He didn't cave into her request. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it, flipping on the light switch by the door. This made it possible to see the tears in Ziva's eyes. He sighed before saying gruffly, "I'm gonna sleep in the other bedroom. I love you. Goodnight." He slammed the bedroom door behind him after letting Bogie walk into the room.

Ziva didn't expect to get much sleep that night. She was left with so much guilt, and she was so angry with herself. She hadn't meant for their conversation to get so out of hand. The worst part about it was that the entire confrontation was over something that was completely irrelevant because she had not planned on going back to NCIS in the first place. She knew he loved her. She never doubted that. Because of her own insecurities, she was afraid that the job would eventually become more important than her. She was afraid it would be more demanding, and she was also painfully aware of the clock ticking until she was due back into the hospital.

Also, if they were to have a family one day, and she knew it was something he thought about often, she did not want him to always have to be running out because they had a case. She did not want him to miss anything important, like her father had. Still, she had been very unfair towards him. She painted the picture as if Tony was spineless, easily manipulated, almost like Gibbs's puppet. She sighed and internally scolded herself before picking Bogie up and pulling him into bed.

Bogie whined.

"I know, Bogie. You do not like it when Mommy and Daddy fight."

Ziva stared at the digital clock on the nightstand, watching the numbers change after what felt like hours. She knew she had to give him some to cool down and time to prepare what she wanted to say and how she wanted to apologize.

After an hour had passed, Ziva tossed and turned in every direction possible. Finally, she gave up and hoped she had given Tony enough time to cool down. She sat up and braced herself as her bare feet brushed against the freezing hardwood. She quietly walked to the other bedroom and found Tony sitting in bed, the light on, and his laptop beside him. He briefly looked up to see her.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked quietly.

"Free country. Do what you want." He told her before returning to his game of Solitaire on the computer.

Ziva sighed before climbing in next to him. They were silent for a few minutes, the tension thick in the room. Boldly, she placed her hand on top of his. "I am sorry, Tony. I should not have said those things."

"It's how you feel. Can't blame you for that." He shrugged.

"I let my silly…insecurities-"

"They weren't silly."

"They were unreasonable, unjustified. I know you love me, and I love you."

"But?" he asked.

"But I feel like I have to compete with your career, with everyone else. You have our entire family at work with you, and you love your job. I know you do. You love who you work with, and then you come home to me-"

Tony stopped her there. "I always want to come home. By the end of the day, I'm begging, and you want to know something? For the past few years, I was so eager to go to work because you would be sitting across from me. You're number one on my list. You are my top priority, and you have to believe that."

"I do."

"Good. Then conversation over? No more angry outbursts?"

"They were all from you anyways." She pointed out.

He smiled. "I'm sorry, too. I jumped down your throat, and I lost my temper. I'm just stressed out."

"I know, Tony."

"If I'm stressed right now, how do you think I'll be able to deal with a promotion? I'm not gonna put any more time into my job than absolutely necessary. It's only a job."

"A job that makes a difference."

"Which is one of the reasons why I do it, but Ziva, you have to know that it's not more important than you are." He said.

She felt her eyes water a little with his honesty, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, the position a little awkward, but it brought a smile to his face as he kissed the side of her head. She broke the embrace, and he moved the laptop off the bed, closing it in the process.

"Do you want to go back to our room?" she asked him.

"We're fine right here." They were finally able to lie down comfortably.

"It's a school night." She told him. "Go to sleep."

"You love me too, right?" he asked her.

She turned to him with almost a shocked expression on her face. "Of course I do, Tony." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He smirked. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it. It's not fun to hear that, is it?"

"No."

"Okay then. I just wanted you to know what it feels like."

"Anymore insecurities or doubts while we are being brutally honest with each other?" she asked him.

Tony seemed like he was thinking about it for a minute. "You having cancer is taking a lot out of me." He told her.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but it will be over soon. Before you know it, this will all just be a thing of the past."

"And then we can start preparing for the future?" he wondered.

"Yes. Then we can start preparing for the future."

"Alright. How about you? Anything else you want to talk about? Anything else bothering you?"

"I think we covered everything." She told him as she scooted closer to him, her skin lightly brushing against his. The touch almost caused him to shiver.

"You're so cold." He told her.

"I missed my blanket. You keep me warm."

"I shouldn't have stormed out like I did."

"It put me in my place."

"You weren't out of place to begin with. If you have doubts, you should tell me. We should be able to be honest with each other without worrying how the other one will react." He told her.

"Agreed."

"And even if we argue, we will always make it up to each other."

"Yes."

Tony leaned in to kiss her softly, his strong hand cupping her face. "I love you, Ziva." He said honestly against her lips.

"I love you, too."

He pulled her closer to him, so that she was half on him, half lying on the bed. His chin rested on top of her head. Her cheek grazed his chest, and her arm was positioned across his opposite shoulder. One of her legs was in between the two of his, and he had settled his own arm protectively around her back.

"Tighter." She told him, and he agreed, hugging her even closer to him. "Tighter." She whispered, and she felt him smile against her temple before placing a kiss there and going to sleep.

* * *

That morning, they woke up wrapped in each other's arms, but Tony didn't have enough time to be relaxed and happy with Ziva when he realized that the sun was shining very brightly through the curtains. He was able to grab his phone from the drawer beside him, and he groaned when he saw the time. 8:36. He was an hour late for work. He had also put his phone on silent and noticed that he had three missed calls, two from McGee and one from Gibbs.

He was in trouble.

He gently woke Ziva up.

"Gibbs is gonna kill me." He said.

"Why?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes, confused by Tony's frantic behavior.

"I'm late. The alarm's on the nightstand in the other room. We went to bed late. I put my phone on silent, and I woke up late. I've got to get to work."

Ziva quickly got up to help Tony prepare for work. They practically ran to the other room. He quickly threw on a pair of pants, and Ziva tossed him a belt and a dress shirt. He was able to get his suit jacket and his shoes on before grabbing his gear and kissing Ziva goodbye. He would either do everything else in the car or when he got to work.

He was able to fix his hair and find a breath mint in the car. He had a toothbrush at his work desk along with a razor. He'd take care of all that after he finished apologizing to Gibbs for being late _and _unreachable.

He walked briskly into the bullpen to see Bishop, McGee, and Gibbs all at their desks.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs snarled.

"Hi, Boss." Tony said good-naturedly. "Do we have a case?"

"Not really. We're just sifting through Pentagon personnel because they suspect a breach in security, but can't exactly pinpoint it. It's probably nothing, but you can never be too careful." Ellie Bishop explained, but Tony had completely blocked her out, locking eyes with his mentor, and at the moment, he didn't look too happy.

"DiNozzo. Elevator. Now." Gibbs instructed.

Tony set his gear beside his desk and followed Gibbs into the elevator. Without the instruction, he flicked the emergency switch. Gibbs said nothing. "You're the one who told me to get in here, so say what you need to say."

"Rule #3."

"Never be unreachable. I know. I'm sorry."

"Rule #6."

"Don't apologize. I know, but I don't like it."

"Do I even want to know why you were late?" Gibbs asked him.

Tony smirked. "I overslept. I went to bed late last night, and not even for the reasons you think. Ziva and I had a fight. We reconciled." He told him.

"Everything alright?"

"Well, actually, there's something you need to know."

"Spit it out, DiNozzo."

"From now on, I'm only staying late if we have a case, and even then, unless the world is in danger, I want to be able to go home at night. Otherwise, when it's just paper work and interviewing pentagon people and navy seals, I go home at five every night like a standard employee. You need to understand that work is not my top priority anymore. Ziva is."

"You done?"

"No. I want you to stop giving me that look when I answer her calls or her text messages. I want you to stop implying that I'm slacking off because I'm still working more than I'm supposed to, just not as much as I used to. Ziva and I want to start a family, but I need to prove that she is more important than work. I already know she is, and now I have to follow through. Understood?"

"Yup." Gibbs said.

"Is that all you're gonna say?"

"I'm happy for you, DiNozzo. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Me either."

"Still not forgiving you for coming in late."

"I know."

"Get back to work."

"On it." He said, and Gibbs flicked the switch once more, thus opening the elevator doors. Tony walked back to his desk and started up his computer. Gibbs walked by the three agents and left the squad room.

"I didn't hear any yelling." Ellie Bishop noticed.

"Gibbs rarely yells." McGee told her. "But, really, he didn't even look upset. What did you say to him?"

"Just told him how it's gonna be from now on." He said confidently, but McGee didn't buy it.

"And what were your demands?"

"None of your business." He told him before returning the topic to work. "Do you have the list of the people you already flagged, so I can do the advanced background checks?" he asked.

"I have it, Tony." Ellie said enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Agent Bishop. Can you just e-mail it to me?"

"Should be in your inbox in no more than two minutes." She told him.

"So why were you late?" McGee asked.

"Drop it, Tim."

"Something to do with Ziva?"

Ellie's ears perked up. "Who's Ziva?"

"His girlfriend." McGee said.

"You have a girlfriend?" Bishop asked Tony. Bishop was still relatively new, and Tony mainly talked about Ziva when he was with Tim in the field or Abby in the lab, so Bishop was never around.

"Yes."

"She should come to the office sometime. I would love to meet her." Ellie decided.

Something told Tony that the new agent was a little too bubbly for Ziva's taste, not to mention the fact she had taken up a residence at Ziva's old desk."Don't know." Tony said. "Hey, McGee, I think I found something." He realized, cross-checking the results.

"You've been here ten minutes, and you've already made more progress than me?" McGee asked incredulously.

"Of course I have."

The lead Tony found ended up leading nowhere, something that McGee enjoyed. When the workday was coming towards a close for Tony, McGee and Bishop realized that they could leave for home, too.

"Do you guys want to get some drinks?" Bishop asked.

Tony immediately refused the offer. McGee immediately accepted.

"You sure you don't want to go, Tony?" McGee asked him.

"I have to be home in time for dinner." Tony said, and McGee nodded in understanding.

"Give Ziva a hug for me."

"Will do."

* * *

**I'm so sorry this chapter took longer to get to you than they normally do. I've been really busy lately with homework and extracurricular activities. Remember when I said I love high school? It's starting to lose its magic. **

**Anyways, I spent all day writing this chapter. I wanted to make it perfect, and hopefully, you guys enjoy it. I've also noticed that my chapters are getting longer. This chapter is the longest fanfiction chapter I have ever written, and it turns out that I actually like fitting more into one chapter. Something tells me you guys won't mind. **

**Please tell me what you thought about this chapter. I love reading your reviews. Thanks to everyone who is still out there reading. You make everything worth it, and I'm so excited to get back to writing. The next update should be posted within the next few days. I'm going to try to get it up tomorrow, but unfortunately, I still have more homework. **

**Love you all!**

**Serena **


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